


The Two Angels

by Caeli13



Category: 07-Ghost
Genre: Action, Canon Compliant, Castor is her comfort, Diverges as the story goes, Forbidden Romance, Frau is still a Perv, Gen, Multi, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension, headstrong lead, mentions of abuse, naive oc, romance build up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:15:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23686015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caeli13/pseuds/Caeli13
Summary: I knew of the song, of the legends that surround the once late Raggs Empire. It was not a mystery, for, you were a civilian who actually heard of it and witnessed the massacre brought down by the country people thought was once a close alliance.It was a bigger mystery why an old man from a high military position would want to take in two children, too. Two, short wiry children of different genders. One was a boy with chocolate brown hair and deep seated emerald eyes. The other was a girl with short black hair that faded slowly to brown with onyx eyes.1.1.1.Everyone expected them to follow. What they didn't expect was rebellion. They were two - one held the key to unlock Verloren, and the other was to his heart. The Key trusts a new comrade like a father, but, the one who truly held his heart gave hers to another.The Chess Master dealt his hand.What he didn't know was the mice wouldn't be idle. The cat may hunt, but, the mice will win.Let the bloody games begin.*This is rated mature for future content*
Relationships: Ayanami/OC, Castor/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. Prologue

Pologue:

I knew of the song, of the legends that surround the once late Raggs Empire. It was not a mystery, for, you were a civilian who actually heard of it and witnessed the massacre brought down by the country people thought was once a close alliance.

It was a bigger mystery why an old man from a high military position would want to take in two children, too. Two, short wiry children of different genders. One was a boy with chocolate brown hair and deep seated emerald eyes. The other was a girl with short black hair that faded slowly to brown with onyx eyes.

This was just the beginning of their story.


	2. Kapitel 01

_I hate being late…_

_I hate being late…_

_I_ so fucking _hate being late…_

Repetitive words chimed in my head. Aside from the fact that I wasn’t rooming in with my brother and his best bud, my dormitory was far away from this gods-awful tank of a place. My once short hair grew long over the years, but, I retained it stylishly (I was a vain nutter, that’s for sure), styling it by making it reach just below my back. My eyebrows were trimmed, unlike my brother’s, whose were naturally neat and un-bushy like.

Dressed in the traditional military outfit of black, I sprinted and jumped from one ledger to another, earning surprised gasps and cruel whispers from rumormongers.

“There she goes again.”

“One of Chairman’s brats again, huh? I heard they get special treatment…”

“Such nice ass. Too bad she’s of low family status.”

“Watch where you’re going!”

Nearly hitting one of the students, I pivoted enough to say, “I’m so sorry!!! Gotta run!!!”

I was in luck when I reached the classroom right before the professor entered the room, giving me a disapproving smile.

“Get inside,” he sighed while rubbing his forehead, his hair of silver glistening smoothly.

I grinned in embarrassment.

Languidly, I looked for a mop of brown and gold hair, instantly finding my brother and his best friend. Approaching them as ‘subtly’ as I could, my brother commented, ‘You’re late.”

I grimaced. “The problem with not being in your bunkers is the huge problem. ‘Scuse me, Mikage.” I slid past the mop of blonde.

Mikage draped his arm over me. “Cheer up, Teito. At least Kit is here with us right now, right? Better relax and just enjoy our last day together in this classroom.”

I looked at Mikage’s warm purple eyes, seeing a scar forming an X on his right cheek with a sad smile. I still haven’t forgiven myself for that, even when he said all water’s under the bridge. You can’t blame a sister for being protective.

“Teito Klein,” our teacher suddenly called out, surprising us all. “I’ve noticed you skipped out on the training sessions again.”

Despite being siblings, he and I are total complete opposites. While I projected the cheerful and relaxed case, he was all too serious. He was slightly taller than me by a few inches, very thin for his age, too. I, on the other hand, had a built which is slightly more plump, but, still considered thin and petite.

I ignored the teacher, knowing what Teito’s response would be, being the favorite of our so-called head. I began to doodle in my seat when I felt someone beside me (Mikage, that idiot) use his powers, followed by a bout of laughter and snickers caught my attention. My eyes couldn’t help but widen at the kinky magazines I saw, especially he one lying on top of the professor’s head.

Yikes. Today’s class seemed to turn into a joke.

1.1.1.

Unlike the previous day, I was the first one to appear in the exam room, a large dark dome with limited lighting.

I couldn’t sleep. I was nervous as excited. Yesterday took a toll on me, bringing me with different scenarios that I forwent eating and training altogether, not that I was confident in my skills. Frankly speaking, I was pathetic on most cases, but, my professors always told me that if I actually put my heart to it, I would have done better. If Teito excelled in everything, I was on average.

I lounged my time away as I saw the examiners walking about, talking to one another until the front door slid open to reveal men of different stature, but exuded power. Hell, a lot stronger than anyone I had ever sensed.

My eyes keenly observed the group. The leader, from what I could tell, was a tall man with silvery waves of hair and a nonchalant stare. His eyes were the color of purple, and from what I could tell, they were the type that was sharp enough to not miss a thing. He wore an officer’s hat with a matching, short-length dark cape and the golden symbol of the Barsburg Empire. Behind him were his troops – a man with dark hair and rectangular glasses, a boy with golden hair and eyes, another man with dark hair, a navy-blue haired man carrying child with what I assumed was pink hair.

“Early, aren’t we?” someone called out. I looked up to see the guy with glasses rolling a candy on stick inside his mouth.

I saluted and said, “Nervous jitters, sir. Force of habit.”

“Hyuuga-sama,” the blonde pulled the man away from where I was, “please refrain from terrorizing the examinees.” He turned to face me. “I apologize for my superior. He can be a bit too much.”

 _So, his name is Hyuuga_ …

I saluted the blonde. “It’s no problem, sir.”

“I was just being friendly, Kona-kun,” Hyuuga pouted quite childishly.

“Hyuuga,” a deep tremble called out. The tall man with silvery hair ushered him with a look.

“Yes, yes, Aya-tan,” Hyuuga seemed to flutter back to his superior.

I couldn’t help but frown. He addresses his superior quite casually.

“Anyway,” the blonde smiled weakly at her, “Good luck.”

Before he could go, I blurted out, “You’ve got nice eyes.”

The blonde stared at her with a startled expression and quickly ducked towards his group.

His purple eyes didn’t leave the cadet’s form, although secretly. He cared not for who the cadets were, but, this one set off his alarm bells. She appeared to be nonchalant, and, from what he could tell, she was good at hiding her nervousness if it weren’t for the way she was trying too hard to control her breathing.

“Saw the potential, too?” Hyuuga called out.

Ayanami continued to stare as the girl seemed to be listening to something Konatsu was saying to her. He seemed to have hastily retreated the moment Konatsu dashed towards them, looking flushed and flustered. But, Hyuuga, with his keen ears for eavesdropping, chortled.

“Oi, what happened there?” Hyuuga inquired teasingly.

Konatsu shook his head. “Nothing, sir.”

“You’ve got nice eyes,” Hyuuga teased.

1.1.1.

It was by two hours later when Teito and Mikage appeared. Dashing towards them, I engulfed both guys in hugs and kisses, making Teito squirm.

“Aw, thanks, Kitten,” Mikage flirted lightly. “I never thought you liked me that way.”

Teito couldn’t help but glare, “Stop that, Ashe. It’s disgusting.”

“It was for luck, asshole,” I beamed affectionately for the two. “I just want you guys to do your best today. Since we are all teammates according to the professor and all,” I sighed nervously, “and, I know I’d be completely useless, being crappy and –”

Mikage engulfed me in one of his comforting hugs. “You’ll do great.”

His words of encouragement was all I needed.

“Next group,” a cheerful female examiner called out.

I looked at Teito and the others with surprise. I must have been too self-absorbed to notice that I was grouped with none other than Shuri Oak, an asshole who has been teasing me and Teito for years. He was also arrogant and very condescending. Not once have a paid attention to him, but, at this point…

Will we be alright?

I didn’t have time to dawdle as a gigantic opponent came out from one of the gates. Ogre-like in appearance, a dirty brown eye patch covered his right eye. He was all muscles, but, I could tell from how he was moving that his speed should also not be underestimated.

“The rules are simple,” a voice instructed us, “You have to defeat your opponent. If you die, you fail. Good luck.”

“Oh, shit on my butter sticks,” I cussed out loud.

Teito grimaced beside me, “Not a very good image, Ashe.”

I inhaled and exhaled deeply. Taking a fighting position, I muttered, “Not asking for a pine of your thoughts, brother dearest.”

“Shit on my butter sticks?” Hyuuga couldn’t help but laugh loudly while clutching his stomach. “Oh, man. I want her on the team. She’d be fun to be around.”

“She is quite a mouth,” Katsuragi said beside him, scratching the back of his black spiky head.

“Don’t rush, Teito, Mikage,” I stared, my mind already forming battle stratagem for us. “His movements are more on brute speed and force. If we could get pass him, we’d be able to leave unscathed. Mikage,” I nodded towards him, “Zaiphons up. Teito, I’m shorter than you, so I’m going to need you and Mikage to act as decoy – I will sneak in and hand him from behind.”

“On it,” both responded.

The sound of their zaiphons echoed.

I looked at the two as I saw the holy words etched in their powers, the color of neon azure floating around their arms in circles.

“H-help!!!” Shuri Oak yelled in fear as the brute, who was around ten feet tall, tauntingly charged at his side.

As per order, the three of us coordinated, as if each one of us was an arm of the other. From time to time, Teito and Mikage would jump and flounce, trying to distract the guy. I, on the other hand, quickly snuck around, ignoring Teito’s and Mikage’s grunts of pain. I could focus on that later.

Jumping on top of the ceiling’s skeleton, I thrust my hand towards the man’s clearly unprotected neck.

_Come on, Ashe. This is a do or die situation._

I called out my zaiphon and instantly incapacitated the enemy, leaving Teito to do the finishing touches. With shaky legs, I grappled down, only to be caught by Mikage.

“Are you alright?” he asked worriedly.

I gave him a look. “What do you mean I’m alright? I should be the one asking you that. You guys were practically the meat shield.”

“Give up,” Teito declared to the enemy. “If you move, I’ll kill you.”

The man literally begged, “I give up…Don’t kill me.”

Our professor instantly entered our battlefield with a stoic expression. “In this situation, the exam hasn’t ended yet.”

I rolled my eyes before he could say anything else. Pushing Mikage and Teito aside, I yelled, “Oh, move over!” and crushed the man’s neck without flinching. Blood sprayed not only on me, but on our professor as well, whose eyes were wide and surprised.

You see, unlike my brother, I had no qualms in killing to survive. Unbeknownst to Teito, the first man I killed was when we were still children. Being a girl myself, let’s say that unwanted attention was unavoidable, especially when you have a baby face. The fact that I did not regret killing was worse, but, maybe because I always told myself, “Better me than my brother.”

Looking at the corpse before me, I stated coldly, “Stay down.”

I looked at Teito, who stared at me with disapproval. I patted his back and said, “If you were to choose, choose at all – me, or him?”

“He’s not the enemy here,” Teito stated strongly.

I shook my head, asking him again. “Me…or him?”

“Ashe,” Mikage placed an arm over me to sooth my nerves, but, I ignored him.

Teito looked at me with helpless eyes. “Of course, you.”

Our teacher led us out of the exam room. Drenched in sweat and blood, I was approached by the man with silver hair and purple eyes. I stood protectively in front of Teito, who shook his head and told me to relax.

“Cadet Ashe Klein, am I correct?” he asked in his cold voice.

I nodded and saluted despite how I was presenting myself right now.

“After you’ve washed, Chairman Miroku wants to meet with you.” He quickly turned around and left you, his cape bellowing just behind him.

“I wonder why,” Teito stated.

I shrugged. An order was an order.

“Tate, I gotta go,” I said, hugging him.

Ayanami waited patiently as he chatted with the chairman for a bit before his target arrived.

His alarm bells were correct. The girl, for all of her innocence, was something. He knew her eyes very well. She was the type who would willingly go an extra mile, given the right incentive and push, if it weren’t for the fact that she was lazy. He also noticed that she acted differently on the battlefield, especially when she was talking to her brother. There was some sort of silent camaraderie between the both.

But, which one was the true her?

“As an ex-battle sklave,” Miroku began to talk, “she was dubbed as The Angel of Vengeance.”

His greying hair was swept back, his grey mustache maintained well. “I’m sure she will make a wonderful addition to your group.”

“I could imagine why,” Ayanami smirked, and then frowned, “Though, her grades seemed to leave us wanting.”

“Ashe is not one of theoretical studies, Chief Officer Ayanami,” Miroku chuckled, “but, she is one of action. Give her an order, she’d do anything to fulfill it. Of course, there are times when I had to give her…a little push. For instance,” he smirked, “she seemed to care too much for her brother and his friend.”

“I see,” Ayanami nodded.

A soft knock echoed just then.

“Enter,” Miroku commanded.

A less grimy girl entered the room. Her eyes looked directly at the chairman himself, saluting.

“You called for me, Chairman?” she inquired politely.

“Yes, dear,” Miroku nodded. Pointing his hand at Ayanami, he said, “I want you to meet your new superior. This is Chief Officer Ayanami of the Blackhawks. He has taken interest in you and would want you to become his Begleiter.”

Aside from the dilating of eyes and the nervous tick of her jaw, she seemed composed enough to salute to him and bow.

I couldn’t help but feel deep dislike for how he was staring at me. Ayanami had the scariest look a while ago during the exam. It was made worse because aside from Chairman Miroku, I was the only other person within the walls. If he ever wanted to do something to me, he could without batting an eyelash, and I could sense it from just how much he was assessing me.

 _Please, tell me he did not see my failing grades_ , I prayed. _It was just one F. I hate paperwork._

“Ms. Klein,” Ayanami ordered, “you are to report to me tomorrow morning before dawn breaks. I want to start on your training. Don’t disappoint me.”

1.1.1.

Books. That was one word that would make me de-stress. So, after the meeting with the strange and scary chief, I relinquished my worries inside the room of knowledge. Looking for fiction and some historical books, I came upon a familiar one that kept me to remember the day Teito and I were enslaved.

_Raggs History: The Rise and the Fall_

It was the only thing reminded me how things were before we lived under the militia. Of course, it was written by someone who existed here in Barsburg, so, I didn’t really accept everything written in it. But, I was always curious about the younger brother of the king who died at a young age.

For some weird reason, I always found it sad when an innocent life dies. When I read a short story about him, I was instantly drawn to how pitiful the poor boy was.

_Prince **Krowell Atiom Raggs** was the youngest brother to the King. Born with poor health and weak immune system, he was always bedridden and sickly, rendering him unable to attend to family matters. He died in his early teens from a pneumonia from which he wasn’t able to recover from._

I mouthed his name, “Krowell…” pronouncing the W like a V.

As I read on, I saw a small family portrait. The future king was with his parents, standing side by side his siblings.

Such a pity.

Shaking my head from the sad stupor, I went to look for other books, catching my favorite fiction called _Plague of the Crowns_. It was then that the kind librarian, Kissa, cleared her throat, a look of apology on her bespectacled face.

“Sorry, Ashe, but, the library is closing. Best get going before cur few,” she suggested, her short, bob cut hair of black neatly combed.

I grinned. “Mind if I get this first?” Showing her the dark cover.

She sighed, “You’ve read that a hundred times already,” as she lead me to the checkout station.

I sighed dreamily, “I just love the way the king is so dominant with her.”

She raised a fine eyebrow. “Really?” She went on to stamp the book.

“King Audrian hated the fact that she abandoned him when she didn’t kill his uncle, who was nothing short but kind to her,” she stated dreamily. “He went out of his way to barter with his uncle, who wanted nothing but peace in the country despite his nephew’s tyranny. He wanted her back, and did everything no matter what.”

“He’s abusive,” Kissa pointed out.

“To an extent,” I threw back. “She was sold to his family as a sex slave at a very young age – Audrian was only fifteen, and she was but seven, but, aside from being his ‘playmate’, he trained her to kill for her country.”

“You mean for him,” Kissa pointed out as she began to close. “Point is, she was young, and he took advantage of it. He should have taken care of her.”

“He was king,” I shrugged. “He couldn’t show falling in love with his slave because he was already engaged to Princess Augrey,” I pointed further as we walked away. “Plus, he was trying to manipulate the laws to give her a better position in court. Of course, despite the rough sex and all that, he didn’t know how to show his love for her. His father was also an ass, remember?”

Kissa shook her head. “He could have broken the chain of abuse, though. He could have treated her like a person, not an object in his possession.”

“Kissa,” I glared playfully, “that’s what makes him HOT.”

Kissa chuckled. “Nothing I can do to change your mind from falling in love with the King?”

I clicked my tongue. “NEVER. Plus, the guy is total sex on legs.” We both turned a corner as I described in full detail from the book, “‘His deep set eyes of sapphire blue stared at the girl. Blonde waves surrounded him like a crown, his full lips grinning maliciously at the man that grip his little angel by the air.

“‘Didn’t anyone teach you to not touch what doesn’t belong to you?’ Spoke Audrian. His eyes pierced the man with malicious anger as he grinned. Looking back at Malia, he went on, ‘My dear Sparrow. Have you lost your wings? Come, I told you to be a good girl in your cage.’”

“Walking out late at night, little cadets?” a familiar voice called out the two of us.

Kissa and I turned to salute Hyuuga and the rest of the Blackhawks.

“We just came from the library, sirs,” she spoke breathlessly.

I darted my eyes slightly towards her and nearly snickered at how she was blushing.

Hyuuga approached me and took the book in my hand. His eyes widened at the title, chortling, “Ohoh, I didn’t know you were into these kinds of books, Ashy. What do you think, Aya-tan?”

I responded calmly, “A cadet has needs, too, sir. One sometimes cannot enact one’s desires in reality, so, better go live in the fantasy than commit crime and treason.”

“Oh?” Hyuuga’s voice darkened slightly. “And what kind of crime are you speaking of?”

She responded in a straight face. “Orgies. As fun as it sounds, it would be embarrassing to enact such feat, especially when one is not in the Red Light District.”

He must have not expected my answer, for he temporarily had a surprised expression, followed by a loud laugh. “Aya-tan, I really like your new Begleiter.”

Kissa gasped beside me. I wanted to stomp her foot, but, my attire was not capable of allowing secrecy at this point.

“Can I please have my book back?” I asked as politely as I wanted. I needed to read it to relax a bit before tomorrow’s training.

Ayanami gave one of his looks at Hyuuga, who reluctantly returned the book to me. Patting my head, he said, “Get to your dorms, kiddies. One of you needs to be up and about tomorrow, right?”

I saluted along with Kissa. The Blaackhawks soon left our sight as Kissa turned to face me. “When were you ever going to tell me that you’ve become a member of the Blackhawks? That is so cool!!!”

Konatsu sighed, his eyes trailing back at the weird girl. “She’s too up-front.”

Katsuragi chuckled. “I like her. She’s very honest and not afraid to speak her mind. I could sense pure truth in her voice. Though, a girl like her with such high libido…” He couldn’t help but find interest in the girl. Most girls in the military were more on the feminine and prude side, but, this one could seem to one-up Hyuuga.

“Hyuuga,” Ayanami called. “Please refrain from bullying our new subordinate. I hate to see such potential to leave us soon if she ever gets annoyed with you.”

“Fine,” Hyuuga huffed. “But, that doesn’t mean I won’t have fun with her!!!”


	3. Kapitel 02

I was never an early bird, but, when ordered, it must be followed. Before five in the morning, I already set my alarm. I wanted to visit my brother and tell him the news before I leave, so, I was up and about during the wee hours of the morning.

Dressed in the cadet uniform, I went to the boys’ dormitory, and was quickly alarmed with what I saw. Some of the militia were rummaging through the dorm, and I quickly hid behind one of the pillars.

“Are these all of Teito Klein’s things?” someone asked.

I nearly gasped out loud.

What the fuck did Teito get himself into?

 _Remember, Ashelia. Blood is thicker than water. Protect Teito. Protect him_.

I knew where they would have kept him. Intel around school via rumors wouldn’t disappoint you on how accurately spot on they can be.

I quickly maneuvered myself, avoiding guards and other people. I knew there was supposed to be an underground cell for prisoners inside the academia, so, I just prayed my hunches are spot on. I was never usually wrong when my instincts work on their own. Though it took me ten minutes, I was sure that the guarded room I found was where Teito was kept. I just had to wait for the shifting to happen.

I heard a pair of quick footsteps coming from behind me. Moving away from another pillar, I was not stupid to not miss the blonde mop that came galloping like an obvious idiot.

_Was it a wonder why I made him a cannon fodder?_

I quickly grabbed him around his mouth, muffling his sounds. Upon realizing who I was, he gasped silently, “Kitten?”

I nodded. “I heard. Wait. They’re bound to shift guards any time soon.”

“What are you planning?” he asked.

“Prison break,” was all I responded.

On cue, the shift did occur just right in front of us. As the guard departed, I whispered to Mikage, “Let’s make haste. We have just about fifteen minutes before we could get Tate out of this shitbang.”

Mikage, despite being an airhead himself, was quick with picking locks. I didn’t expect that to happen, though. I was more thinking of breaking the door with the limited time, but, then again, that would catch the attention of others. Good thing Mikage thought of it before I summoned my zaiphon. He wasn’t that useless, after all.

The click of the lock popped out. I quickly opened the door and gasped at what I saw. There, in the middle of the room, sat my brother, all beaten up.

Teito raised his tired head and nearly struggled as he hissed, “Idiots! What are you doing here? You guys could get in so much trouble! You’ll lose your position as the member of the Blackhawks, Ashe. Get away!”

Mikage looked at me, and I instantly knew.

“What did you do to piss off the Blackhawks, asshat?” I signaled Mikage to pick his chains, which he did in a flash.

Teito unsteadily rose, and I quickly dashed to catch him. I placed his arm over my shoulder as we limped out. “So, Ayanami blabbed, huh?”

Teito groaned, “More like gloated.”

Mikage helped along as he asked, “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday,” I responded.

As expected, within the fifteen minutes of our breakout, the alarms signaled the escape of one Teito Klein.

We took a lot of detours, trying to avoid the main route most men would take. It would give us time to run as the alarm blared at the escape of Teito. But, by most unfortunate circumstance, we were spotted by one soldier, who managed to yell before Mikage kicked him right at the face.

“You two run and go,” Mikage ordered. “I’ll hold them off and distract them.”

“Stay safe, Mikachi,” I nodded.

“I’m fine now,” Teito spoke softly beside me.

I looked at him and he nodded.

There were no words spoken as we dashed around, avoiding military personnel. It was a bit difficult, for we both barely walked around the premises. Usually it was dorm, classroom, canteen, classroom, and dorm (for Teito on a daily basis) or dorm, library, classroom if I feel like it, canteen, canteen, library, then dorm (for me).

Such was our luck when we were completely surrounded near a balcony.

“Ashy?” Hyuuga pouted. “I thought you were a lot smarter than this.” He shook his head sadly.

Ayanami commanded, “You still have the chance: hand over Teito Klein, and you will be reinstated as my Begleiter. Refuse,” his eyes possibly darkened, “and, suffer the consequences.”

I proudly stated, “Blood is thicker than water, sirs. I could not for the life of me let you hurt my brother, no matter what. If I shall be killed, then, it shall be done.”

Teito turned to me. “Are you crazy? He’s giving you a chance! You have to stay!”

I turned to face him and yelled. “SHUT UP! THIS IS MY CHOICE, ASSHAT. FOR THE LOVE OF WHATEVER DICK YOU HAVE EVER RIDDEN, IF YOU HAVE EVER, DON’T MEDDLE IN MY DECISIONS!!!” I grabbed his hand tightly, recalling my promise to myself.

 _Better me than him_.

Ayanami began to signal behind him. They were going to execute us on the spot.

There was nowhere to escape. We’re both doomed.

“No one’s dying on my watch!”

Teito and I quickly turned around. There, riding a hawkzile, a motor-like object used to carry an individual person or two, zoomed towards us. Mikage quickly pulled us both on it and jumped towards the balcony.

“Mika –,” Teito and I called out together, but, he silenced us by pushing us away, yelling, “Get somewhere safe!”

“Stop them!!!” Ayanami commanded.

I quickly thrust the hawkzile, preparing to maneuver it to wherever our destination will lead us. But, I was not familiar with the transportation as my brother was, so, Ayanami managed to grab me by my chest.

“Let go of her!!!” he tried to pry his hands from me.

Ayanami smirked as a dark light engulfed my chest. A stinging pain entered me, the sensation of a burn slowly disallowing air from entering my lungs. It was as if something entered me, slowly burrowing itself deep within.

I just knew then that Ayanami released me. The smirk on his face was enough indication that he did something.

Teito pressed something in the hawkzile that plummeted us forward.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

I panted painfully, “Yeah.” I looked at my chest and found nothing to see. It must have been something temporary to sting so badly.

Without much thought, I told Teito, “Bro, I don’t feel so good…”

The darkness was soon a welcomed friend.

“What are we gonna do about them, Aya-tan?” Hyuuga asked. “Our little birdie’s flown the coup.”

Ayanami smirked. “Oh, she’ll be back. She will lead us to Teito Klein and the Eye of Mikhail. I made sure of it.” He spun around. With a determined look, he ordered, “Our main priority is Teito and Ashe Klein. Do whatever it is to look for them, but, place no harm on Ashe.”

Ayanami was having his suspicions, and, from the looks of it, he was slowly connecting the pieces together.

Ashe Klein hid herself very well in plain sight. He should have known.

There was no doubt that Teito and Ashe Klein were both descendants of _those three_. They were not full-blooded siblings, but, two halves of the same coin. Both were birthed from different mothers, but, with the same father.

Ayanami went to his office as he mulled over what he witnessed. Apparently, Teito Klein inherited his father’s attributes. His sister, though, was more like that princess. She was obstinate, unafraid to speak her mind, and pretty headstrong. Who knew that the princess would sire a child with the King of Raggs.

If his hunch was further correct, Ashelia Mikaela Raggs would be his map.

1.1.1.

Why is it so soft and fluffy? It also smells so disgustingly floral. And, why does my head hurt?

And, I remembered the embarrassing moment when I blacked out right into the arms of my brother. It made me rise quickly, sending a bout of nausea down my head. I had to blink twice before my eyes registered how bright the world was.

“Ugh, so disgustingly bright,” I moaned.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” a gentle voice spoke beside me.

I looked up and saw a man with brownish red hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a set of rectangular glasses. He was also weirdly dressed in robes of pure white that triggered an inner set of disgust.

“Where’s…?” I struggled to speak hoarsely.

A hand went to my head. I nearly jumped at the cool touch as a gentler voice spoke, “Be calm. You and the boy are safe. He is rested and is with one of our Bishops.”

I looked at the person who touched me. He looked more like a girl, but he was definitely a man, with wavy silver hair and kind purple eyes. He was also dressed the way the other man was, but, his aura is a lot more calming.

“My name is Labrador,” he spoke softly. “This is Castor. We are both bishops here in the Barsburg Church.” He looked at my outfit and said, “I don’t mean to pry, but, are you part of the military?”

I shook my head slowly, afraid for the nausea to return. “Until they hurt my brother.”

“I see,” Castor nodded. “Well, you are welcome to stay. The Church is a separate state from the Empire, so, people who need refuge can be granted sanctuary as long as they need of it.”

“But, my bro –”

A gust of wind flew into the room the moment the door opened with a bang. I was pretty soon engulfed in a familiar hug, the warmth of skin and bones.

“Tate?” I croaked.

“That brat wouldn’t shut up,” a brusque voice spoke in front of me. He was blonde, with dark blue eyes. He was dressed in a garb of dark robes, and his hair reminded me of a chicken, in the way he styled him.

“Hey, pretty lady,” he winked at me. “I hope you had your beauty sl – ouch!!!”

Castor, with all his grace, handed the man a huge fist on the head. “For once, Frau, show some respect to women!!! I thought being a Bishop will help cure this idiocy of yours!!!”

“I was!!!” Frau responded apprehensively. “You just don’t appreciate poetic justice to my words.”

“Poetic justice?” I giggled. “How do you mean by poetic justice?” I patted Teito’s head, feeling at home with him.

“He’s a pervert, Ashe,” he glared at Frau. “Don’t be fooled. I won’t let this disgusting piece of crap go near you and corrupt your innocent mind. I forbid it! It’s a good thing Castor is here to control him.”

A pervert, he says?

Looking at Frau innocently, I tested him out.

“Brother Frau?”

He eyed me skeptically. “Yes?”

“Ashes of the night!” I yelled.

He responded jovially, “Let no mercy come!!!”

There was a temporary silence before he sat beside me and held my hands, “Don’t tell me you’ve read _Dawn of the Assassin Series_?”

“Yes, I have!!!” I chimed dreamily. “My favorite is King Audrian!!! I love how much he flexes himself despite being the antagonist!!!”

I could feel the eyes of Teito, Labrador and Castor moving from me to Frau as he responded, “I see you’re a woman of culture as well. He’s an ass, but, you have to read deeper into what happened to him to understand how he felt.”

“That was what I was saying to others!!! It was not his fault why he is abusive when his father had ingrained things in his head for years! It’s hard to break from that kind of psychological trauma, plus, his uncle was exiled long before the series, and every one in the kingdom was afraid of the previous king.”

“Ashe!” Teito stared at me. “What are you guys talking about?”

Castor patted my head. “I think we will leave you two to catch up.” He quickly grabbed Frau’s collar, earning a, “Hey! I was having a decent conversation with someone who with a similar mind!!!”

I could hear Castor retorting, “I bet that’s far from it.”

“We will see you two later,” Labrador said before closing the doors.

“So,” I turned to Teito, “what’s up?”

“Do you think Mikage is alright?”

My mood instantly soured. Looking at my brother, whom I cherish above all, I didn’t want to hurt him under any circumstances, but, if truth he wants, I will give.

“At this point, no,” I shook my head sadly. “He helped us escape. Both of us are now wanted fugitives, and, for whatever reason he did help us, friendship aside, I doubt the empire would care that his family has served the militia for years.

“At this point, if he’s useless to the empire, he’s dead. Even if he’s not, he’s under the Blackhawks, and, I heard stories of torture, even when I’m unfamiliar with their members. I also know that, from the rumors, their torture is pretty horrid, so, to expect him want to live after that…”

Teito leaned his head on my shoulder. “Ashe…stop.”

I hugged Teito, knowing that was all he needed.

Teito, for the life of me, rarely cried. At this point, he was already showing his weakness by just sliding beside me.

The rest of the day, we talked about anything and nothing at all. Teito, though, wanted to come to a decision right away about our abode. For one thing, he was too prideful to accept our lodges around here. He wanted to leave. I, on the other hand, thought that the place was nice.

“They might be like the army,” he stated, “and, we’ll never know when they’ll hunt us.”

“I know,” I let out a sigh, “but, if they are a separate state from the politics, why can’t we stay, Tate? It’s safer for us. No – think about it,” I pointed out, “inside here, we are safe from harm. We want for nothing. We have decent beds that were better than the bunkers we have in the militia, a roof over our heads, and maybe, some good food, from what I could tell. Why do you want to leave?”

He let out the breath he was holding. “You sure you wanna know?”

I nodded. “You still haven’t told me what happened between you and the Blackhawk leader.”

From there, Teito recounted how he was walking in the corridor, about to deliver some test papers, when he eavesdropped on what Ayanami was talking about (“You know what they say about eavesdroppers, right?” I pointed out), and a bright light engulfed him. Afterwards, he found himself sprawled inside the cell, being asked about the Eye of Mikhail.

“I read about that!” I responded enthusiastically. “I read that in a book called _Raggs History: The Rise and Fall_. Apparently, there were two eyes given by the Chief of Heaven to protect two great nations,” I raised one finger at a time, “The Eye of Mikhail and the Eye of Raphael. Both hold special abilities to protect both Kingdoms.”

“What are their abilities?” he asked.

I shook my head. “This is where it gets confusing. Apparently, the information just stated that there was no evidence of its existence. No written information whatsoever. I disagree, though, because,” I pointed out, “the writer of the book is from Barsburg, and, I’m sure as hell that they have censored some information about the war. Victors write history, after all.”

“True that,” he placed his arms behind his head and lied down beside me. “The military is bound to have removed anything about it.”

“Yes, the military,” I said in a singsong voice. “Nobody said about the church, right?”

Teito’s eyes widened. “Are you saying…?”

“If my hunch is correct, and, for all the glory, let’s admit it usually was,” he snorted, but, hey, I’m pretty confident in myself, “they can’t touch the Church because that will be breaking a Republic Act that declares the State with mixing with the Church’s business. In no way the Church can interfere with the Militia and vice versa.”

“How come you can never do this during classes?” Teito asked me with irk.

I shrugged. “I’m a selective learner. If I find anything interesting, I’m a go. Remember, I only joined the military to stay close to you. I was not really interested, unless we count the extracurricular physical activities.”

“Point taken,” he sighed.

After a few minutes of silence, I went on, “What happened after I blacked out?”

“We were chased,” Teito responded in a low voice. “Your body was glowing black. It was scaring me. But, apparently, Ayanami doesn’t want any of us harmed. They tried to get us, but, Frau and the others managed to save us when a soldier dauntingly targeted our hawkzile.”

“Yeouch,” I couldn’t help but flinch. “I think he’s gonna receive hell from Ayanami.”

“I think so, too,” he chuckled.

Yells echoed in the stillness of the night.

CRACK!!!

RRRRRIIIIPPPPPPP!!!

“I’m sorry, Chief Ayanami!!! Please, forgive me!!!” the soldier begged.

The crack of the whip echoed once again at the hanging soldier.

There was no mercy in his eyes. He was annoyed. Who would have thought that an entire battalion could not stop and retrieve two damnable brats who barely got out of school? It was utterly unforgiveable.

“I said no one harms Ashe Klein,” he stated darkly. “You have the nerve to disobey me?”

One. Two. Three.

After the third strike, a knock echoed behind him. The door opened to reveal Hyuuga, a smile on his face.

“Aya-tan, should I interview our little mishap?”

“Yes,” Ayanami wore his pristinely white gloves back. “I await the results of Mikage Celestine. Don’t disappoint me.”

Ayanami once again found himself in his office. Sitting on his chair, he decided to take a visit on his wayward Begleiter. He closed his eyes and reached for the object he implanted in her. There, he witnessed from her eyes the scenes that laid before him.

_“How come you can never do this during classes?” Teito Klein asked her with irk._

_He felt her shrug. “I’m a selective learner. If I find anything interesting, I’m a go. Remember, I only joined the military to stay close to you. I was not really interested, unless we count the extracurricular physical activities.”_

_“Point taken,” he sighed._

_After a few minutes of silence, she went on, “What happened after I blacked out?”_

_“We were chased,” Teito responded in a low voice. “Your body was glowing black. It was scaring me. But, apparently, Ayanami doesn’t want any of us harmed. They tried to get us, but, Frau and the others managed to save us when a soldier dauntingly targeted our hawkzile.”_

_“Yeouch,” the girl couldn’t help but flinch. “I think he’s gonna receive hell from Ayanami.”_

_“I think so, too,” he chuckled._

_Another bout of silence before the girl worriedly stroke Teito Klein’s hair. “You know,” she slowly began, “I read something about the Raggs Kingdom.”_

Ayanami’s ears perked at the same time Teito Klein’s did.

_“I’m not saying much, but, did you know there was a sad story about the youngest prince, who died because he got sick?”_

_“What got you thinking about it?” Teito asked._

_“Well,” he felt her fidget with her fingers, “I just imagined, you know. Sometimes, I get these…emotions when I read. And,” she let out a sigh, “Krowell Atiom Raggs died because he was sickly. He was thin and all that, but, he didn’t have the medical advances right now.” She looked intently at her brother’s eyes, “I’m saying that I’m happy you are alive, Tate.” She hugged him tightly._

Ayanami couldn’t bare the touch, finding it disgusting. Removing himself from her person, we wondered if she was really that weak. She was too emotional, making him wonder what he saw in her the first time.

Both siblings were too easy. It’s just finding the right people to push them through.


	4. Kapitel 03

A few days have passed ever since Teito and I have landed in the Church. So far, I was enjoying my life as I saw fit. I became close to the three Bishops that helped us; Frau for our talk about sexual etiquette and all that falls beneath it, Labrador for his kindness and my sudden interest in gardening, and, most of all, Castor, who took a liking to my petite stature and decided to use me as his go to for the clothes he sews.

Apparently, Castor has a crazy obsession with Mannequins. He has the ability to manipulate them, enabling their movements with invisible strings, and, to make them more appealing, he makes them clothes.

So far, I’ve overly enjoyed dressing up for him. I’ve never experienced it before, and, the first time I saw myself having fun without doing anything much at all.

My current favorite was this white dress that fell just below my knees. It descended in a slant to my left side, reaching just mid-leg. The collar was made to be off-shoulder with long sleeves that fell off gracefully like flowers. It was light on the skin, but, kept you warm on the coldest days. I literally begged Castor if I could keep it. He agreed, in exchange, I would help him with the designs by being his gopher for materials.

Today was one of those days. While wearing the garb, I was happily carrying the stacks of cloths he ordered. I was so amazed by the amount, too. Considering my lack of knowledge, Castor also helps me learn the difference. For instance, I never knew that there was a difference between crème and ecru, or silk and satin.

Castor and I ended up finishing late. By the time we wrapped up, he said, “Ashe, let me handle the clean up. I think you need to rest. Personally, you’ve done a lot for today.”

“You sure, Casty?” I inquired. “I could stay to help.”

“It’s okay,” he smiled back. “I’ll follow you later.”

“Alright,” I frowned. 

I decided to enjoy my alone time. It was rare for me to leave Teito’s side, and, right now, I was actually enjoying it. Basking in the freedom away from the Military, I didn’t expect to find peace such as this.

The skies were clear of clouds. The moon was full, its bright, silvery light passing through everywhere. The stars were twinkling like orbs of diamonds. The wind was also gentle in its blowing, making me feel calm.

Who knew peace was this fun?

Although, I should have expected that was the calm before the storm.

It came without a warning, the jolting in my chest. Fire seemed to seep into it, quickly moving all over my upper abdomen. The fire was accompanied by the searing pain of needles while I screamed out in utter agony. I could feel myself begin to sweat at every breath I took.

But, as the pain came, it quickly disappeared.

“What the devil…?” I gasped.

“Ashe!!!” I heard someone yell.

I looked up and saw Castor running alongside Frau and Labrador.

“What happened?” Labrador knelt in front of me.

I gasped, “I don’t know. My chest started to ache as if fire and needles were being poured on me. It made breathing difficult and –,” Labrador cut me off with a look on his face. His eyes suddenly widened in worry.

“Teito Klein is in danger!” he spoke.

_Teito?!_

Frau darted off instantly, quickly followed by Labrador. Before I could sprint, Castor placed a hand on my shoulder, “Stop, Ashe. I suggest you rest.”

I shook my head. “That’s my brother out there!”

Castor decidedly knew I was too obstinate at this point to see reason. We both chased time and followed the tracks of the two Bishops. From there, we came upon Frau fighting against an old man…who seemed to be too nimble to be old.

“Teito!!!” I called.

Teito turned his attention to me. “Ashe! Stay back!!!”

“Mistress Eve…” the old man called out.

I turned to face him with a confused expression. He was pointing his finger at me, his eyes looking quite blank.

“My Master has longed for you…and, indeed, it is a pleasure to see his mark on you.”

“W…What?” I stuttered.

Castor stood right in front of me. “Stay back, Ashe.”

I nodded. I was unsure how to move at his point.

“My Master needs her back,” the old man croaked. “He will not stop.”

“Who’s your master?” I asked, glaring.

The man let out an eerie cackle. If it was any normal circumstance, I would have commented about it being good in a carnival of horrors, but, at this point, I was too curious and waited for his answer.

“My Master…” he declared, “is none other than the God of Death…Verloren-sama!!!”

Right then and there, the old man sprouted skeletal wings and nearly went spearheading towards me. I quickly used my zaiphon, trying to just shield than attack.

“What’s going on?” I asked, as Castor and the others began their attack.

Teito rushed to my side, his expression frightened and worried.

“You know what to do,” I stated boldly.

Teito, who realized what I was aiming for, nodded.

Both of us quickly used our zaiphons to help the Bishops. Though the three were strong in retrospect, Teito and I wanted to help. We were not useless in this area.

“Be careful,” Castor declared. “He’s being possessed by a Korr.”

“I kinda get that,” I pointed out, avoiding the dives of the old man, “for NO OLD MAN CAN MOVE THIS BLOODY FAST!!!” As I landed beside Castor, I pointed out, “You guys have a lot of explaining about this shindig.”

With enough distractions, Frau placed his hand on the man’s chest and said, “May God Bless you!!!”

From what I could tell, that was something skeletal. Tiny, yet…skeletal.

Unsure what to do, I followed the Bishops as they rushed towards the old man, who let out a groan.

“Oh, my heavens…What happened?” he asked.

I was about to say something, but, Labrador interrupted me by saying, “We found you sleeping by the steps of the chapel. It was pretty cold, so, we decided to bring you here.” He threw me a warning glance, and I frowned.

Why did he lie? Wasn’t that against the clergy’s…?

“Well,” Frau stood beside me and Teito, “this man seems to be better. Now, if you excuse me.” He brusquely lifted Teito up, who struggled in the process.

I looked at Castor for answer. “Is he going to be alright?”

“He’ll be fine,” Castor stated with a chuckle. “He may not look like it, but, Frau loves children. He just doesn’t show it. Now,” his expression turned serious, “follow me.”

Uh…okay, that turned three-sixty-degrees quite quick.

I followed Castor, who led me to my room. The moment we entered the well-lit area, he pushed me on the bed and told me, “Hold still.”

I didn’t expect the instant pain to occur when his hand were moments away from my chest. My scream was instantly agonizing. The flames and needles engulfed me, as if something didn’t want Castor to be close to me.

When he pulled away, his expression was severe. “As I thought.”

I gasped and gulped. “Thought?”

Castor looked at me pitifully. “Can you tell me what happened while you were escaping the militia?”

Obediently, I recounted everything, starting from the sneaking out of Teito to the hawkzile. When I finished, Castor’s expression turned even grimmer. His eyes were darker and his expression made me fear for my life.

“Just as I thought,” he muttered. “He has claimed you, and, only he could remove what he planted inside of you.”

“What do you mean? Castor,” I rubbed my head, “I’m confused. What do you mean he’s claimed me? What did he place inside of me?”

Castor placed a hand on my shoulder. “What I’m about to tell you must not be told to anyone else. I will be the one to tell Frau and the others to guarantee your safety. Promise me, Ashe.”

I nodded, compliant only for the time being.

“Ashe,” Castor began, “Verloren has claimed you as Eve, the woman he fell in love with. I cannot be certain why, but, at this point, whenever a Korr is close by, you will repetitively feel the constant pain.

“A Korr, to be exact, is a servant of Verloren. They can possess human bodies to do his bidding. Usually, a human who is possessed turns crazy.

“At this point, I am sure that it was not a Korr placed inside of you, but, something else.” Castor began to slowly pace the room. “But, I will try to find ways to stop the pain from happening. In turn, I want you to keep this a secret from Teito. I fear he will do something drastic if he ever finds out that his beloved sister is in pain because of Verloren.”

“You’re saying Ayanami is Verloren?” I gulped.

Castor nodded. “A reincarnation, to be exact.”

I wanted to scoff, but, I couldn’t. After everything I’ve witnessed today, despite having no exact science to explain it, there was a guarantee that there really was no science to this. It made things a lot more difficult to understand on my end, but, I’ll bite.

Castor went on, “I know this is a lot to take in, but, please rest. You’re going to need it.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Castor.”

1.1.1.

Teito and I were walking around the grounds. It was a fine, sunny day, and everything was as peaceful as it was. Still dressed in one of Castor’s clothes (this time, it was a similar design, but with the color of navy blue), the two of us discussed the events of yesterday.

“Did they explain to you about the Korr?” I asked.

Teito nodded. “What I’m curious about is why that thing called you Eve?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I look like her, apparently.”

Come on, bro. Take the bait.

“You sure?” Teito asked. “You haven’t heard anything from Castor?”

I shook my head.

“If you say so,” Teito just nodded.

Yes!

As they approached the fountain, Teito suddenly beamed at you. “I want you to meet someone, by the way.”

I curiously cocked my head to one side.

He rushed for the fountain, his movements excited. This got me curious as he yelled, “Razette!!!”

I squealed in surprise as a pink-haired woman jumped out of the water. She was beautiful, though, with pale skin and lavender eyes, the girl was breathtaking…if it weren’t for the tail that replaced her legs.

“This cannot be explained with science,” I couldn’t help but mutter.

Razette looked at me, mewling in an adorable voice. Rising from the pool, I squealed again when a bright light engulfed her, her form looking a lot like me.

“A mimic?” I gasped.

Razette began to hum as she touched my hair, slowly caressing it.

“She likes you,” Teito grinned.

I laughed softly. “I like her, too.” Patting her head, I asked, “Can you turn into a cat?”

With a pop of the bright light, a cute, pink, furry kitten sprawled on the floor, looking at me with wide eyes. If it was a squeal of fear a while ago, now, I let out a squeal of happiness.

“Ohmergerd!!!! Kittern!!!!” I beamed.

Teito mumbled on the side, “Don’t spoil her, please…”

I cuddled the kitten, muttering, “Can I keep you? You’re so cute!!!”

Razette mewled underneath me, but, as always, the spell had to be broken. I knew she needed to be back inside the waters, the heat of the sun not doing well for her amphibian skin.

“Wanna walk around the church?” I asked Teito. “I haven’t been to Labrador’s garden in a while.”

He nodded as both of us walked in silence.

“Ayanami-sama,” Katsuragi spoke behind him, “Mikage has been positioned.”

“Excellent,” was all he said.

Ayanami has been in deep thought. He didn’t expect that the merging of souls had truly succeeded. The only problem was, whenever his devoted Korrs were near, Ashe’s soul seemed to react badly to it. He will have to remedy that soon.

Closing his eyes, he once again entered Ashe’s thoughts. He may not be able to control her, but, he could use her senses to track down her actions.

_“Oh, by the way,” the little chit began, “I was thinking of asking some of the Bishops if I could have use for the library. I’ve been interested in reading up on my novels.”_

_Teito Klein responded helpfully, “Have you thought of asking the nuns? They do run the household around here. I heard from them that almost every information you need can be found in the library.”_

_He felt her smile, “That would be brilliant.”_

_I need to research about this Eve girl. I feel that there’s a connection to the Raggs Kingdom._

So, she knows, huh?

_There might be even more details about the Eye of Mikhail. Maybe I could –_

_The girl was instantly distracted by a sudden pain in her chest. It was the same from her previous encounter with the Korr._

With a mental wave of his hand, Ayanami quickly vanished the pain. The secrecy she had decided on was going according to his plans, after all. If she never tells Teito Klein, then, the lesser chances of them finding out that she could sense Korrs from just being close.

_“You okay, sis?” Teito frowned._

_She nodded. “Just peachy.”_

_The two of them were about to turn to another direction when someone grasped Teito and spoke his name._

_That voice…_

_“Mikage?” both Klein spoke – one of utter surprise and one of girlish excitement._

Perfect.

_The girl engulfed the bait into her arms, a sniffle coming out of her._

_“Mikage,” she cried out repeatedly, her voice cracked the third time._

_“I missed you, too, honey,” Mikage Celestine responded dramatically._

_In turn, the girl threw back, “Oui, my love. I knew the red strings of fate will never allow us a long separation~!!!!”_

_Both soon grinned maniacally and exchanged two thumbs up._

_“Will that ever grow old?” Teito Klein deadpanned._

_“In all seriousness,” the girl began, “How did you escape? How did you know we are here? I mean…”_

Ayanami withdrew himself from there. Now that the players are set, he just had to wait to strike.

“Now, Teito and Ashe Klein,” he smirked darkly. “Show me what you can do.”

1.1.1.

Mikage was here!!! Mikage was safe!!! Mikage was…home.

I watched Teito and Mikage interact, a happy ache down on my chest. Seeing both of them together…it reminded me of happier times in the academy.

As we dawdled through, we spotted the three Bishops we have become close to. I decided to shout and wave at them, catching their attentions.

“Ashe, Teito,” Labrador greeted us politely, while Castor threw a, “Good morning there,” and Frau gave a, “Brats.”

“We want you to meet our friend, Mikage,” Teito began. “He managed to escape the empire. Is it alright for him to stay here?”

“I don’t mind being his guard dog,” I suggested and looked at Mikage with puppy eyes. “I mean, if honey doesn’t mind…”

“I wouldn’t mind, darling,” Mikage threw back.

Teito, on the other hand, blew up. “Will you two knock it off?!!! You guys are completely disgusting!!!”

Castor asked with a frown on his voice, “Are those two a couple?”

Teito shook his head as Mikage and I burst out laughing.

He responded with a sigh, “Nope. It’s an inside joke. Apparently, when Mikage and Ashe met, she disliked him, but, after making sure that he was genuine with his affections for me, he,” Teito pointed at Mikage, “was being healed and cared by her. He actually told her that she’s a perfect wife. She threw back that he, too, was a perfect husband. Ever since then, both would do this whenever they haven’t seen each other for a long time.”

Castor seemed to have relaxed after his explanation.

“Well, he is welcome to stay,” Castor smiled. “The gates of the Church is always open to those who seek sanctuary.”

How come I felt that’s always been bloody rehearsed?

Looking at Castor, I asked, “Is there anything you want me to help with today?”

He shook his head. “Although, I want to meet with you later at the library after dinner. Is that alright with you?”

“I haven’t been to the library around here before,” I responded excitedly.

“You never asked the sisters?” Labrador proded.

I shook my head. “Whenever I see them, I tend to hide after witnessing how they smother Teito with lots of love.”

“She’s scared of her own gender,” Mikage pointed out, making me hit him on the head.


	5. Kapitel 04

Castor couldn’t help but frown at the new boy. Of course, he was happy to see the two siblings smile and banter, but, there was something off about him. It couldn’t be the sudden surge of unfamiliar emotion that made him question Ashe’s relationship with this Mikage. It sure couldn’t be that, but, there was something else.

He was surprised, to say the least, when she acted so intimate with the boy. He knew that the age of marriage didn’t matter when it came to the Barsburg Empire. He hosted one, after all, a poor thirteen-year-old girl marrying someone who was three times her age. Something akin to a sharp pang on his chest resonated, and, he wanted badly to pull Ashe away from him.

“The flowers are astir again,” Labrador spoke beside them.

Castor turned his attention to Labrador.

Labrador went on, “Someone is going to take away their smiles. And, from here, a boundary between one of decay and one of tainted light must be established to not cross the bridge of turmoil.” Labrador looked intently at Castor.

“Who do you think will it be?” Frau asked.

In all honesty, the Teito brat was growing on him. He may not say it, but, Frau started seeing the boy as brother. He’d do anything to protect him. If anyone tried hurting the damn brat…

“Don’t worry,” Castor smiled grimly. “I will send my pets to guard them.”

Behind Castor, his beautiful mannequins dressed in the sector’s nun garbs came and subtly dispersed to wherever Teito and his comrades were.

Frau nodded. “I’ll also investigate things on my end on how these Korrs manage to enter holy grounds.”

Before leaving, Labrador asked Castor, “What is it you feel for her? Tread carefully, for duty and love do not mix accordingly.”

“I know,” Castor nodded. “Duty will always come first.”

I found out that there were three main nuns who kept the Church running, but, in all my fear of things that are too nice, I would forget their names and faces, but, they were nice enough to help me get to the library, splitting my way from my brother.

As expected, the library in the Church was quite big. Mountains of shelves lined each isle. The smell of moldy paper and parchment was everywhere, stacked beside each other carefully. Each section held important documents, and I didn’t know where to start.

The only down side was no section for fiction. They had everything from biographies, histories, old and new theses, references and old documents that dated even thousands of years before, but, never fiction.

I decided to put my head in the game on this one. I cannot dawdle. I have to help solve Teito’s predicament before anything else.

I quickly started at old documents. If this Eye of Mikhail was indeed something, then, the documentation are should be plausible.

I spent the entire time engrossed in my findings. Apparently, the history of the Eye of Mikhail was so top secret, that important information was heavily redacted from texts. I could see heavy ink markings marring the important details. I was sure it was both to hide the information and protect the Eye, or someone’s got it bad for the Eye that whatever information they managed to rummage, they wanted to keep it for themselves.

“This will cause a problem for my research,” I muttered to myself, “but, there might be further information in history books. I might as well try it there.”

It also proved to be futile.

Someone was eliminating information here. I was starting to suspect that the Church and the Army are not separate entities as how the Bishops have portrayed them.

The burn once again permeated my chest. I gasped, feeling the tiny beads of sweat falling from my forehead. It was a lot more painful, though. It was as if something was eating my chest from the inside.

Like clockwork, Castor’s mannequin landed in front of me. It’s blank face intricately made was somehow sooth as I commanded, “I know how you work, but, please, take me to Castor. I need his help.” I let out another pained gasp.

I was not sure if the mannequin knew what I was talking about, but, it instantly carried me off.

I could barely register what was happening because of the pain. All I knew was I was gently laid down in a bed of grass with Labrador slipping one of his edible flowers down my throat.

“It will help stave off the pain,” he advised.

I swallowed the sweet delicacy, and, was instantly relieved of the pain. I also realized right there and then that I was lying on someone’s lap. I looked up and instantly blushed at the familiar chocolate brown eyes of Castor.

“Where am I?” I asked.

Labrador smiled gently, “You are in my garden.” His eyes became wide as Castor quickly grabbed me and pulled me away as debris landed on the grass.

Holy potato nuggets, what?!!!

Raising my head, I couldn’t help but groan. “Why is it whenever there’s something bad going on lately, it’s always Teito?”

True enough, Teito and Mikage were trying to fend off another kid possessed with the Korr wings, as I would begin to call it. But, it was over in an instant when Frau appeared, a weird, skeletal scythe on his hand as he clipped the wings of the possessed.

“Are you alright, Ashe?” Castor asked.

I looked at him again, blushing.

I have to tell him my hunch.

Nodding, I asked shyly, “Can I talk to you for a second? Like, alone?”

He nodded.

Castor and I both disappeared before Teito and Mikage spotted us. As much as I wanted to ask whether they were alright, they looked unscathed. That answered the question well enough as Castor lead me to an empty corridor.

“What is it?” he asked in a stoic tone, which was so unlike him.

No…he was being guarded.

I told him quickly, “I think the chest pains are related to the Korrs.”

I waited for a reaction, but, he just looked at me calmly.

Not wanting to miss a beat, I went further, “I don’t know why, but, I’ve noticed so far that whenever there’s one around, my chest starts to feel the pain. Last time, it quickly disappeared for some unknown reason, but, now, if it weren’t for Labrador…”

Castor nodded his head. “That’s what I was supposed to meet with you about before this incident occurred. So, my assumptions were correct.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed. “Y-you knew?”

He sighed, removing his Bishop hat. “I didn’t want to assume. I wasn’t sure, but, now…From what I could tell, the only way to remove that binding is you go to the one who cast the spell, which, I doubt you’d want, or…you die.”

The severity of that statement frazzled me.

To die?

“Castor, there must be a way,” I whispered.

He shook his head. “I would help you if I could. But, if I try to remove it, which I can’t, you might die either way.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

Castor explained slowly, “As far as I’m concerned, the only one with that ability is Frau. I might be a Bishop, but…Damn it, Ashe, I do want to help!”

I jumped at how he suddenly exclaimed. I never once saw him this unhinged. He was usually agitated whenever Frau slacked off or whenever he does something un-clergy like, but this…

What was I thinking?!!! He’s a Bishop, he wouldn’t think of me that way.

I calmed myself slowly before asking, “Is there a way for me to at least be cut off from this binding?”

Castor nodded, “There is a way, but…You, or, should I say, your soul, should enter a deep sleep. It’s like dying – not that bad, calm down, Ashe! – more like, we place you in a temporary stasis until we kill the one who casted _seelengebunden_ on you.” (Soul Bound)

I stared. “Seele what now?”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. For now, let’s focus on finding more ways to keep you and Teito safe.” He patted my head gently.

I didn’t know what possessed me to do it, but, at that moment, I hugged Castor. It was not the hug a sister would give to a brother, nor was it a hug that simply says thank you, my friend, but, a hug that tried to convey how I felt inside.

_I was lost. I needed guidance. Help me, Castor._

I didn’t expect him to hug me back.

_I should stay away from Ashe. I might be crossing a line I shouldn’t._

Castor’s emotions were all over the place. He had never felt so lost and torn, not since…well, not since he was a child.

Ashe made him feel human, and in many ways than one. True, he may love everyone as a Bishop does out of duty, but, with Ashe, it was a whole new level. The way she seemed to cling to life naturally, seizing the day was an adorable factor he couldn’t help but admire.

If only she wasn’t so stubborn and naïve.

Maybe in another life time, there could be him and her. But, in this, he was sadly Bishop Castor. His feelings are of no consequence whatsoever. His duty was to protect the citizens. Wasting his time with emotions will be his undoing.

1.1.1.

Stasis, huh? Who knew life could take an unexpected turn at this point.

“Little Angel,” a feminine voice called out to me, making me jump.

Oh, it was one of the sisters. Rosalia? I wouldn’t know, but, her hair seems golden. If I recall correctly, she was quite clumsy.

“Are you going to attend the Church’s bazaar today?”

“There is?” I gasped in amazement. Nodding in respect, I said, “Thank you for telling me, Sister.”

I ran off to look for my brother and his fiend of a friend. It didn’t take me long, though. I just had to spot a midget and a blonde stick walking around the Church. Both were fairly recognizable, wearing white robes.

… if it weren’t for the fact that most people were wearing white robes!!!!

Inhaling deeply, I called out, “Teito? Mikage?”

Damn it! Where the hell could those two be?

Teito was right. I overestimate myself way too much.

Decidedly, they’re bound to turn up. I then ventured into the middle of the Church’s streets. It had been a month since the last I’ve been on the outside world, so, maybe today, I could stretch my legs even further.

The nun was right, though.

It was truly a bazaar.

Stalls upon stalls of tents were erected to host different wonders. It was a bit confusing at first, but, I managed to find my way around the area. They were quite organized – the civilians had their tents erected at the very entrance of the bazaar. The Bishops had theirs a bit further within. With my familiarity with some of the Bishops, it was easy to spot who owned which. For instance, Labrador introduced to me his side of the tent, which sold edible flowers that were said to be good for the health. Frau was selling weird street snacks from a certain meat I didn’t want to know. Lastly, Castor’s tent was the one that sold clothes.

I stopped by Castor’s last because I wanted to help out as much as I could. When I arrived, though, he was not there.

“Ashe.”

“Kitten!!!”

I turned to my left to see Teito and Mikage walking towards me.

“Hey, you two!!!” I waved. “Did you guys see something you like?”

Both shook their heads.

“Although, there was this area that crafted weaponry. Did you the broad sword?” MIkage excitedly pointed out, making gestures with his hand. “Man, I wanted one of those, but, they’re pretty steep in the prices.”

Teito deadpanned, “You only wanted it to look cool.”

… I smelled the sick burn my brother delivered.

“Teito and Ashe Klein, Young Mikage,” Castor said politely behind us.

I couldn’t help but blush. Last night shouldn’t have happened, but, I couldn’t help it. There was just something about Castor that drew me in. right now, he even looked marvelous in his complete Bishop garb. The hat, the robes, it was a symbol of something Holy…

And, I cannot walk pass that line.

I watched Castor as he interacted excitedly with my brother and friend. Yu could see how much he loved sewing. I couldn’t help but smile at his antics.

He caught my eye when he raised his head, and we quickly avoided each other’s gazes. I knew what I did was wrong, but, it felt so perfect. At this point…it’s too awkward to talk to him about yesterday’s events, especially with the bazaar going on. Just to avoid the awkwardness, I grabbed Teito and Mikage by their wrists, saying, “Guys, I still haven’t seen much of the bazaar. Let’s go take a detour?”

Teito nodded and bid Castor farewell. “We have to go. Sorry, Castor!!!”

I felt his eyes on me, knowing we both wanted to say something to each other, but, I didn’t want a confrontation.

Teito, Mikage and I walked a little while longer before my brother voiced out suspiciously, “What was that about? You were acting pretty off with Castor a while ago.”

Mikage looked at me cluelessly as I responded as nonchalant as I could, “I didn’t want to disturb him. He was too busy today, so, I decided to leave him at that. It’s difficult managing a boutique, you know?”

“Don’t lie to me, sis,” Teito frowned. “I know you more than you think. Something happened between the two of you. Tell me what it is.”

I shook my head. “There’s just a misunderstanding. Don’t worry. It’s something shallow.”

Teito persisted on, “One moment you two were talking in hushed tones, the next thing I know, you suddenly tried avoiding each other like the plague – wait,” Teito’s eyes widened, “Did Castor sexually harass you?!! I’m going to kill that son of a bitch!!!”

I put a lid on his mouth at the atrocity. “Teito, keep calm! Mikage, control your best friend!!!”

Damn, he’s embarrassing.

Mikage shrugged in amusement, “I’m not my best friend’s keeper.”

Looking into Teito’s eyes, I pointed out sternly, “Teito, you are aware that Castor is _never_ like that. He’s protective of us, and, I want you to accept the fact that sometimes, a woman undergoes these emotional stages that she’s too embarrassed to say out loud.”

Mikage pound his fist over his palm. “I get it! You’re crushing on him!!!”

“Mikage!!!!”

I could myself turning beat red.

Oh, why, of all times, are they perceptive?!!!

“Still,” Teito pointed out, making me flinch, “He’s a Bishop. You know the clergy are never allowed to have relationships, right? His job is to be in service of the Chief of Heaven, not of the physical body. In the end, you’ll just end up hurting yourself if you continue to do this, sis. I may not know much about love, but, I could tell that at this early stage, it’s already hurting you.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” I glared, feeling myself tear up. “Look, Tate, I don’t even know when it began, but, fuck! You don’t know how painful it is to yearn to be beside that person, only…It hurts, Teito.” I felt the stream of tears falling. “I know I’m never woman enough for him. I mean, who am I? I’m just a naïve fourteen-year-old who is in love with a man older than her who would see her only as a child he needed to protect.”

In my outburst, Mikage instantly engulfed me in a gentle, comforting hug.

“That’s enough, Kitten,” Mikage ordered in a voice I could not recognize. “It’s alright to vice out your thoughts, but, right now, you are, indeed, acting like a child. Yes, it hurts, but, grow up. You both stay and wallow in self-pity, or you move on and use this chance as a lesson to become stronger.”

_His tone…why does it feel off?_

I looked at Teito, who seemed to not notice. He pretty much nodded and agreed with Mikage.

“Alright,” I couldn’t help but scoff at myself. “I guess you’re right. That was pretty childish of me.

Ayanami couldn’t help but let the anger he felt explode, shattering the mug of coffee right beside him.

The moment he possessed the body of the boy, Mikage, he didn’t expect to witness a sordid love between his Eve and his copy.

_“Don’t you think I know that? Look, Tate, I don’t even know when it began, but, fuck! You don’t know how painful it is to yearn to be beside that person, only…It hurts, Teito. I know I’m never woman enough for him. I mean, who am I? I’m just a naïve fourteen-year-old who is in love with a man older than her who would see her only as a child he needed to protect.”_

How dare that fake take over his Eve’s heart? He may be just a reincarnation, but, from the beginning, the moment he saw Ashe Klein, he knew she was the key to bringing his true form back.

But, no worries. Once he gets his powers, he will look for Pandora’s Box and claim his real body, then, he shall awaken her lost memories. By then, he can obtain her love once again.

_It’s all for you, my Eve. Wait for me._

Two can play this game.

Castor chased after the trio, deciding to gather his guts to talk to the girl. That was pretty rude of him to have ignored her like that. Assumingly, he thought it was for the best. The pained expression on her face was enough to shake his resolve, though.

Upon arriving somewhere near the entrance of the Church, a raging fire consumed him from the inside.

Mikage’s arms were wrapped around Ashe, his mouth close to her ears. He seemed to be saying something to her that caused the girl to clutch tightly at his sleeve, leaning closely against him.

When Mikage saw him approach, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, daring Castor to interfere. There was mad glint in his eyes, something he didn’t expect to see from the lad.

This was not Mikage, not the boy the Klein siblings knew.

He has no proof, but, his guts were telling him that no boy like that has that amount of darkness to throw with just a glance.

Could it be…?


	6. Kapitel 05

I never realized how lucky I was being Teito’s sister. After the outburst, he and Mikage decided to cheer me up from my tantrum. It worked. Both were back as if nothing happened, even that weird part with Mikage left my mind. It must be one of those moments when boys became men.

Of course, at their bickering, it must have been a passing moment.

“Oi. You two…”

A searing pain engulfed my chest. This time, it was a lot more painful than before. The lava filling up my lungs, the needles that entangle within the confines of my chest…

“Ashe? Hey!!!”

“Hmmm…hurts….”

1.1.1.

_It feels so warm. And, soft… And, what is this tingling in my hand?_

I opened my eyes to look at Teito. His expression was stoic, but, there was a clear stiffness about him that seemed odd.

“Tate?” I asked. “What happened?”

“Don’t you remember, Vessel of Eve?” he stated coldly, “You fainted from the Korr attack. Apparently, the Korr incidents leading up to this date is the Basburg Empire’s way of trying to retrieve you two.”

What? Vessel of Eve? Korr incidents? Hang on…

That’s when I noticed that the usual emerald orbs of my brother were crimson.

“Who –” I tried shooting up.

Apparently, I was still too disoriented to do so, for my body weight didn’t want me to defy gravity as of the moment.

“Calm down,” he spoke.

His hand shot up to me, and crystal-like webs pinned me to the bed. It came from the red orb that seemed embedded in his hand.

“You’re not Teito,” I stated accusingly.

The boy who resembled my brother snorted. “Of course. My Master is a lot more awesome than the pathetic me borrowing this body,” the…thing flounced about. “My Honorable Master was just too tired after the mean beating the Korr gave him, so, I decided to protect him, seeing that no harm should come upon his beautiful body.”

Okay…WHAT THE HELL’S BREATH AM I SEEING?!!!

The doors to the chambers opened with a bang. A fuming Castor came in, his eyes hidden behind his glasses. He was followed by Labrador and Frau, the former smoothly trying to calm him and the other one looking amused.

“Mikhail, stop this this instant!!!” Castor yelled, grabbing his collar.

Wait…Mikhail?

“Are you the Eye of Mikhail?” I asked curiously.

“Let me go, you fake!!!” Turning to me, the creature nodded. “She’s not as dumb as I thought she was.”

I was totally confused right now. As Labrador placed a hand on Teito’s look alike, his body began to glow, slowly robbing him of consciousness. To my utter surprise, the webs that stuck me to the bed slowly disintegrated.

Frau carried Teito bridal style towards a bed beside mine, and, what I noticed was that Mikage was on his left side.

“So, we were attacked by Korrs?” I asked the three.

Frau nodded. “If we didn’t get there in time, you three would have been dead. You were pretty useless when unconscious.”

“Was Teito hurt?” I asked, forlorn.

_I broke my promise to protect him…_

Frau flicked my head painfully, earning him a glare.

“You are not at fault, you little shit,” Frau pointed out, causing Castor to yell, “Language!!!” He went on, though, “You guys were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, it is not your job to protect your brother. True, you two are invincible together, and that both of you graduated from the Military, but, that is different. You are not at school. Of course, life would throw something different at’cha, but, you just got to stomach it. I suggest you rest up.”

I nodded.

“How are you feeling?” Labrador asked as Castor scolded Frau for his crassness.

I replied hoarsely, “I wonder when this would end?”

Labrador let out his bell-like laugh. “The good news is, you just scraped your shoulder. The impact really hit you hard.”

I looked at both shoulders and saw the injury at my right. “Odd why I don’t feel any pain, though.”

“It’s the flowers. I forced you to swallow a little bit to kill the pain as you recover.”

I nodded. “Appreciated, then, Labrador.”

“We’ll leave you guys to rest,” he smiled, dragging Castor and Frau right behind him.

In the darkness, I contemplated whether Teito was correct. We should have left before things get worse, but, I got too comfortable with how things have been. Further, Mikhail called me the Vessel of Eve. If I stayed longer here, I might be able to find information about her. Like, why was she so important to this Verloren?

1.1.1.

By the time I was feeling better, it was already sunset.

Truth be told, between me and Teito, I was the one who usually ran out of stamina and recovered at a very slow pace, so, it was expected that when Mikage and Teito recovered quickly, I was still woozy and bedridden. I assumed it must have been because of the nausea I always experience after the pain.

I was happy, though. Castor and I began talking again like normal. Of course, we didn’t mention about the hug and all, but, we did end up talking about the Eye of Mikhail.

“Personally,” I said through the screen draped around my bed as I changed into the white dress he made for me, “that’s a lot of self-love there. I never thought I’d say it, but, damn. I never expected to meet someone who’s vainer than I am, and, trust me, I pretty much admire my reflection ever so often.”

“I wouldn’t call it self-love,” he chuckled while I opened the screen. “More like, he places your brother at a high pedestal.”

“True, true,” I let out in a sing song voice.

Castor’s eyes suddenly darkened. In a hushed tone, he said, “Stay here.”

“Why?” I asked.

He looked at me with an annoyed expression. “Are you going to listen for once?”

I nodded. “Fine. But, if it’s Teito…”

He patted my head. “You know we will keep you safe, no matter what, right?”

I nodded.

Castor quickly departed, and, I was sure I heard the click of him locking the door. Without nothing much to do, I sat in total silence. I began to count cats in my head, trying to curve the boredom.

I was not like Mikage, who could pick locks, nor was I like Teito, who was patient enough to do things slowly. The silence was slowly killing me.

Within thirty minutes, though, Frau barged into the infirmary with a battered looking Teito.

“What happened?” I asked. Looking behind Frau, I further asked, “And, where’s Mikage?”

Teito’s expression was one of sadness. Frau’s was of pity and apology.

It couldn’t be…

“Guys,” I laughed nervously. “This is not a nice joke, you know.”

Silence.

“Teito, tell me this is a joke,” I said too cheerfully.

“Ayanami possessed Mikage, sis,” he shuddered, bringing his hands to his face. “I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t…”

I shook my head, not believing it at all.

“You’re lying,” I laughed. “This is a prank…right?”

Underneath the robes of Frau, he pulled out a tattered Militia uniform that was twice the bigger than Teito’s.

“No…” I started breathing heavily. “No, that’s not true.” I began to feel tears pouring from my eyes. “Not Mikage!!! Teito!!!”

Castor walked in slowly. He gave me a sad expression as I clutched Mikage’s shirt into my chest.

“Castor…” I ran to him. “Tell me this is a lie. Mikage is just hiding, right? He said he was safe…he said…he said…” I mewled horrendously as I tried to stop my tears from pouring out heavily.

“It was too late, Ashe,” Castor explained. “He did a similar binding to Mikage. There was no way for us to save him. But, he died with a smile, making us promise to look after you and Teito.”

I did the next thing my emotions told me to do: run out of the room.

_Dammit!!!_

Castor chased after the form of Ashe, still on high alert from the fight.

He knew that she should be left alone to mourn, but, Ashe could be stupid at times.

It was time she acted way better than this. He gave enough concessions, and, he could admit that he babied her too much. But, at this point, who knew when the next Korr would attack. He was not risking her life so that she could do whatever she wanted.

She was easily spotted underneath the full moon. Dressed in the clothes he made, he could have sworn that she truly was Eve Incarnate. She was pressed against the fountain, her tears pouring into Razette’s pool. There was no sign of the mermaid, but, here she was, her tears of agony to be forever mixed with the waters of the Church.

Without warning, Castor grabbed her from behind, earning a struggle.

“Let me go!!! Leave me alone!!! Let me –”

Castor muffled her voice with his hand.

For a tiny person, she was quite a hellion.

He dragged her into one of the empty room. As gently as he could, he threw her against the wall, hissing at her angrily, “Are you stupid? We just saved your brother from getting beaten by Ayanami, and, you ran like that, knowing that another him is lurking just around the corner?”

Ashe gaped at him with wide eyes, but, he went on, his fuse already at its limit.

“Do you even use your head? By the Heavens, Ashe! You could have been next!!!”

She bit her bottom lip that trembled. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“No, you weren’t! You were being selfish! Did you think you were the only one who lost someone special?! Your brother lost a brother, too! His best friend! And, there you are, running out like that with your brother worrying about your safety!”

He breathed heavily. He realized that he was shouting too much when his voice came out hoarsely, “Why can’t you behave for once in your life?”

That was when he realized his first mistake.

This Ashe he saw next struck a chord deep inside of him.

She was crawling towards him, her head bobbing towards his hand. She was…docile. She didn’t have the spark he expected from her. Her next words, though, made his heart stagger.

“I’m sorry, Master,” she whispered. “I’ll be good. Little Ashe will be a good sklave. She will do what you want. Please, don’t hurt her anymore.”

By the Chief of Heavens!

“This is not a nice joke, child,” he glared, not liking this one bit. “Get up, Ashe.”

When she didn’t do anything, he yelled, “Get up!”

She quickly rose and stood in a submissive position.

Slowly, he approached her and was surprised at how she flinched.

_What’s happening?_

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” he tried to whisper to her softly. “You know I won’t hurt you.”

“I’ll behave,” she said. “I’ll behave, Master. Don’t lock Ashe in the small room with thorns and nails. Ashe promises to behave.”

Despite how stricken he was with her words, Castor engulfed her in a hug. She leaned towards him, her eyes downcast. She seemed to…crave his attention, by the mere fact that she snuggled closer towards him, rubbing…

What?!

“What are you doing, Ashe?” he whispered.

“Ashe is trying to make Master happy again,” she whispered.

Hell’s Breath!!!

He untangled Ashe from himself slowly, noticing her shivering.

“Is Master mad at me?” she whispered.

How the hell…?

“No, you did nothing wrong,” he whispered.

There was something inside of him growing. He knew from the beginning that what he was feeling was wrong, but, tonight…

_To hell with Labrador’s warning._

“Ashe,” he whispered. “I’m going to kiss you, okay?”

She didn’t nod, nor spoke a single word. She stood there like one of his mannequins, a masterpiece, an art.

A warm, beautiful work of art.

He placed two fingers underneath her chin. Lifting her face up, her eyes were still downcast. He didn’t want that. No, he didn’t _like_ that at all.

“Look at me,” he whispered commandingly.

She raised her eyes, her beautiful, mesmerizing onyx eyes.

Slowly, he dipped his mouth to hers.

_Just a taste._

At first, when he felt her warm, chap lips, he made sure it was gentle. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself as he devoured her, tasting the cavern that was her lips.

_Just tonight. I will seal this memory within her. Chief of Heaven, please, let me enjoy her just for this night. By tomorrow, she will only recall my anger, my voice, but, never my touch. Please, allow me this one._

She was honey and lemon combined. Like summer, he couldn’t help but enjoy her, loving the mewls and gasps that came out of her lips.

Wantonly, he sucked her skin just underneath her hair, near the back of her head. It might leave a mark, but, it was so small, her hair could hide it. As he did so, she grasped against him firmly, rubbing herself against him.

“M-Master?” she mewled more.

He looked down at her and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Placing his hand on her head, he retracted her memories of this night, of the slow burning passion they just shared.

The erasing of memories caused her to enter a deep slumber. He caught her just in time, and, he gently carried her bridal style. Before leaving the room, he sniffed her for the last time, remembering the summer breeze of her skin.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, an agitated Teito greeted him.

“Is she alright?” were his first words.

“Teito Klein,” Castor asked nonchalantly. “Why did Ashe call me Master?”

Teito’s expression morphed quickly into one of anger. “You triggered her regression?!!! Castor, what the hell?”

“Teito!” Frau called, holding him by the stomach. “Calm down! This is no time to argue with Castor!!! Hey!”

Looking at Teito, Castor could truly believe that both short siblings were indeed related. The way the petite brunette struggled within Frau’s arms were just the way Ashe winded herself a while ago.

“How the hell are we supposed to understand what’s going on if you don’t tell us?” Frau groaned.

“I think you all saw the sklave mark she and I bore, right?” Teito glared. “It should be obvious with you guys that she was also a battle sklave. And, you know what’s worse?” Teito let out a dark laugh. “They didn’t only use her for the battles. They also mentally and sexually tortured her. It was by pure luck that they never took her virginity. It was by pure luck that I managed to interfere with it.

“She suppressed those memories,” Teito gripped his fists together. “I knew from there the moment she began smiling again, for, her smiles were never the smiles I used to see.”

“Brat,” Frau mumbled.

Teito inhaled deeply and looked up, determination on his face. “I never yelled at her angrily, for I was afraid it would trigger this. Surprisingly, it never triggered in the two years we stayed in the academy. She must have bonded with you emotionally.

“Don’t do that again.”

Castor nodded. “What does this mean on your end?”

“I trust you,” Teito declared, “not because I do, but, my sister does. Break her trust, you break mine. At this point, I think that episode proved that she has indeed surrendered to you. I suggest you do something about it.”

“What does that mean?” Frau asked suspiciously.

“It means that she has given Castor the power to decide for her.”


	7. Kapitel 06

When I woke up, I nearly scrambled away from the form of Castor. He was looming right above me, his expression cautious and guarded.

“I’ll go get young Teito.”

I didn’t know that he was there, but, the mere fact he’s leaving me alone with this madman was enough to bring back my fears.

“Calm down, Ashe,” he spoke softly. “I’m not mad anymore, okay?”

The Castor last night scared me. Who knew he had quite a temper. The way he yelled… I was sure I blacked out halfway through his sermon. I was too frightened, recalling the beatings I used to get as I sucked…no. That time was over. Not anymore.

“What do you recall about last night before you passed out?” Castor asked slowly.

I didn’t dare speak. I was too scared to say something that will trigger Castor’s anger. I didn’t want that to happen again.

“Ashe,” Castor sighed. “You can’t ignore me forever.”

_Wanna bet?_

“I apologize,” he continued solemnly. “I know what I did was horrible, but, you have to understand. Sometimes, sacrifices happen because of our decisions. I didn’t want you to sacrifice your safety to mourn Mikage properly. I know he was like a brother to you, too, but, last night, after what occurred, it was your safety that I valued more above anything else.I would rather you hate me than compromise your life.”

I rocked myself back and forth, still ignoring the man in front of me.

He let out another sigh.

Standing up, he muttered, “I’ll go get you something to eat.”

I knew I was weak when it came to my resolve in not talking to him, and, I needed answers. Before he could completely open the door, I asked, “What did Ayanami want?”

Castor’s steps faltered. Turning his head to face me, he responded, “It doesn’t matter. You’re safe now.”

I stood up angrily. “You see, Castor? This would be a problem. I don’t like secrets.” I stormed to him, coldly looking up at his tall stature. We were practically toe to toe, him practically three heads taller than me, but, I didn’t care as my voice came out with an ice-like grip. “Keeping secrets like that? That’s just cruel. Mikage is dead. How many more people have to die before you tell me what the fuck is going on? Does it have to be Teito, too? Or, maybe,” I let out a derisive laughter and whispered, “does it have to be me?

“You said it yourself. Ayanami did a similar binding to Mikage’s soul. The question is, when will he start using me to bring my brother back into the military?”

“He won’t do that,” Castor stated strongly. “The moment he does, he would taint you himself. The binding he used on you is different, though. It’s one that’s not for control. It’s one to monitor. He doesn’t want to harm you, only to keep an eye on you.”

I frowned. “How do you know of this? Castor, I hate secrets. You should know that by now. I have this urgent need to know. The fact that you’re hiding things from me…” I shook my head. “I think…I think I can’t trust you with me anymore.”

Castor gripped my shoulders and pierced my eyes with his. “Trust, Ashe. Trust is the basic fundamental part of any relationship. A person without it will become nothing but stone cold. Threatening someone with trust…I didn’t know you could be so underhanded.”

My stomach felt the quick invasion of butterflies. I didn’t know what was happening, but, somehow, the invasion felt nice. And, the way his hand seem to unconsciously caress my cheek as he spoke made it slightly difficult to breathe.

“If only you know, Ashe,” Castor went on when I didn’t say anything. “I value your trust above all. So, I just need you to trust me to keep you and your brother safe. There are some secrets I cannot have you know. Not yet. In time, I will tell.”

I couldn’t help but be hypnotized. There was just something about Castor that drew me in, and the way he was sending chills down my spine…

Castor and I literally jumped a few inches apart when the door opened to reveal my brother and the two other Bishops we became so close to. Teito still looked pretty tired, but, I was sure to bet my brains (if I did have any) that he’s trying to pull through for me.

I walked towards him and hugged him. “Bubba…”

Teito hugged me back. When he released me, he looked me up and down. “How are you? Are you having headaches? The injury on your shoulder his healing, right? Are you hungry? Labrador brought some of their vegetarian sandwiches that taste really good.”

“Teito,” I softly spoke. “What’s that on your neck?”

A black collar was around him, and, I didn’t notice that until today.

“It’s a promise collar,” Frau groaned as Labrador entered, setting down the food near one of the bedside tables. “Apparently, when I tried to take it off from him a while ago, it bit me. Now, I have to see this brat all the time unless we want his neck to explode.”

“SAY WHAT NOW?!!!!!” I panicked.

Castor whacked Frau on his stomach, muttering, “You have to explain it properly to her, you idiot.” Turning to face me, he explained, “It has a time limit of forty-eight hours. No worries. We’ll make sure he’s fine.”

“Burrapya~!!!”

A furry, lavender creature suddenly jumped onto my shoulder. I couldn’t help but stare. It was so tiny, like a bunny, with small, feathery wings. Its eyes were of similar shade to its fur, and, an X marred its forehead.

The creature saddled beside me, nudging me with its body.

I gingerly took it from my shoulder and carried it.

“You adorable thing,” I whispered.

“Ashe,” Teito explained, “That…is Mikage’s reincarnation.”

I stared at Teito quickly, and looked back at the creature, who smiled and nodded towards me.

_That explained the mark on its head._

“Mikage,” I whispered. Inhaling deeply, I went on a bit louder, “I’m still sorry for that mark. I know you’ve already told me before that you understood how protective I was of Tate, and that you’ve forgiven me – hey, that’s gross! Don’t kiss me like that!!!” I couldn’t help but giggle as it climbed back on my shoulder and began to lick me.

“Even in this lifetime,” Labrador smiled serenely, “He still loves and adore you two.”

I nodded. Turning to Teito, I asked, “I wanna keep him. Can he be mine?”

“That’s MY best friend,” he shot.

“But, he’s now a cute fur ball. Don’t deny me this.”

“Rejected,” he deadpanned rather quite quickly.

1.1.1.

The three Bishops, whom I began to label as the Big Three, wanted to talk to Teito about something. They said it was a private matter that I shouldn’t be privy about it. Sulking, I decided to hang around the clock tower. I decided to borrow some of Teito’s new ensemble (Priest in training robes) of black robes with golden outlines.

The wind was soft against my skin. Somehow, I felt a bout of comfort.

I closed my eyes and pictured Mikage, hugging me from behind, ruffling my hair and saying, _“Kitten, wanna go grab some snacks? I heard they have soba pan today.”_

 _No, thanks, Mikachi. You know I hate soba_.

_“But, you only eat meat and veggies!!! You need to eat something healthier.”_

_You do know carbs is a big no-no for a healthy diet unless eaten in moderation, right?_

_“Don’t scold me!!!”_

I smiled.

Inhaling deeply, I let out a tune.

I’m no singer like my brother, whose voice was smooth to put me to sleep as a child, but, I was decent enough to carry a tune as I began to sing.

_The dawn breaks to whisper a hidden goodbye_

_The birds fly away into the sky_

_Here, I count the smiles in your eyes_

_That fades into an empty whisper_

_Farewell, my friend_

_See you in the end_

_Farewell, my brother_

_See you soon together_

_Fly, fly, let your wings go by_

_To the farewell of the sparrow’s cries_

I felt something crawl up my shoulder.

“Burapya~!!!”

I smiled and looked. “Hey, Mikachi.” I looked behind me and saw Teito, who looked at my outfit disapprovingly.

“I borrowed without asking permission,” I grinned.

He shook his head and sat beside me. Both of us stared into the horizon, both at the brink of turmoil and peace.

“I’ve decided,” he began.

I faced him, curious.

“I’ve decided to stay here and be a Bishop to avenge Mikage,” he voiced.

I furrowed my brows. ‘Tate,” I sighed. “I don’t think becoming like Frau will truly help. By vouching yourself to the life of a clergy, it’s not supposed to be for revenge. There is a sacred oath that will bind you to Heaven. I know the Big Three we’ve met so far showed incredible powers, but, are you sure?” I looked at him worriedly. “I will not stop you, that’s for sure, and, I will continue supporting you with this decision.”

“Sis,” he smiled, patting my back.

I smiled back, knowing that whatever decision he had made, I’ll be there by his side.

“I see,” Miroku stated observantly. “So, he’s finally starting to awaken. Now, you are the only one able to handle this situation.” In his silence, he observed Ayanami, surprised at his nonchalance.

Ayanami stated stoically, “This is so like you. I never thought that you were hiding the _real_ Eye of Mikhail. If the higher ups find out about this, you will be Court-Marshalled.”

Miroku couldn’t help but chuckle, “Letting it become a toy of the Army is _not_ my plan.” An evil expression took over his face. “I was going to tell you, _once_ he showed signs of Awakening. You and I are the only ones who know about it now.”

“Permission to speak freely,” Ayanami asked.

‘Hmmm?” Miroku peaked up with interest.

Ayanami stated conspiratorially, “Those children from Raggs will become great threats to the Empire someday. We should kill him now while we can still manage to hold her while we still have the chance.”

“And then just simply retrieve the Eye of Mikhail and reawaken Eve to stand by our side?” Miroku stated blandly.

“Yes,” Ayanami responded.

“I don’t mind,” Miroku threw, “but, won’t you regret that decision one day?”

“Everything is for the sake of the Empire,” he stated back.

Miroku nodded. “I’m glad we could see eye to eye, Ayanami.”

It daunted his plans a little bit, but, to get to Eve, he would have to play along.

1.1.1.

Teito had been spending a lot of time away from me. In truth, I was very happy. Even when he had to move to the Examinee’s room to participate, at least he was training and reading up on information he needed to pass the exams.

I, on the other hand, was still undecided to as to what to do. Teito practically has his mind set on revenge. I thought of it as futile, for revenge only cycles around. But, if he does want to, fine, but, I don’t know how to help. In this place, women are more like the nuns here. As much as crossdressing seemed to be a fun idea, that would be too reckless. I didn’t actually have ample oomps at my front, so, wrapping it could actually hide it temporarily, but, it would be a bother if I’m old enough and didn’t undergo the throaty puberty of voice changing.

Lately, though, rumors of relentless killing have been flouncing about. I’m surprised not one of the Big Three have been keeping a close eye out for me and Teito. Maybe because he’s taking the exams as well?

I’ve been holding myself from prying into that. I wouldn’t want to be a burden to anyone. I was sure that’s how Castor saw me.

“Why is life such a complicated – ouch!!!” I bumped against someone.

“Watch where you’re…going.”

I looked up and found a boy with blonde hair and purple eyes. His hair was parted on the left, but, for a second, I thought he looked like Mikage. If it weren’t for his sharper features and his side ponytail on the left, I would have assumed so.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“I didn’t know that the Church allows females to join the Bishop exam,” he mused, disgust showing his face. Realizing his forgotten propriety, he shook my hand, “I’m Hakuren Oak, by the way. You are?”

I stared at him. “You’re related to spineless family Oak? Does that mean you know dumbass Shuri as well?”

“You little…” he glared at me.

“Ashe,” someone called behind me.

“Bubba, I was wondering where you were,” I pouted petulantly. “I’m bored, and, I didn’t want to disturb you in the library, that’s why I was wandering around.”

He chuckled, “Sorry, you must have been lonely without me, huh?” He patted my head.

“You two know each other?” Hakuren asked with a stare.

Teito nodded. “I see you’ve met my sister.”

Hakuren flounced himself, “That explained her rude behavior.”

“I wasn’t being rude,” I glared. “The Oak family are indeed spineless. They use their power to bring in their relatives under nepotism, which is very unorthodox and disgusting. Now, why would someone from a well-known military class want to be a clergy?”

“Tsch,” Hakuren scoffed. Looking at Teito, he stated, “You really are siblings.”

Teito hugged me, saying, “Of course. She’s adorable, isn’t she?”

Hakuren muttered something like, “Women are disgusting.”

I would have been insulted, but, I was pretty confident in my beauty to not let it slide.

“How do you know Tate?” I asked, sliding beside the two as they began to walk.

“We’re dorm mates,” Teito responded.

I smiled. “That’s good, Teito. At least you could make new friends while we are here.”

“We are not friends!” both spoke together.

I stared at them blankly, “… Could it be, you two have unresolved sexual tension?”

“Ashe!”

“You little brat!”

Both parties bumped me on the head, making me tear up in pain.

“Mean peepz are cruel,” I wept crocodile tears.

Teito rubbed his head in annoyance. “How about this? You can join us study and train. I’m sure you could help out, even a little bit.”

“Are you sure, Teito?” Hakuren frowned.

Teito smiled at Hakuren. “Trust me. She may not look like it, but, she’s amazing, biased aside.”

I followed them like a lost duckling. I guess it kind of helped that there were books on world history that prevented me from interrupting them.

So far, I like Hakuren. Teito was beginning to smile again, and I was sure that it was because of him. Both were usually bantering, of course, but, I guess it’s because of their personal differences.

I got to know Hakuren, and I could see that despite the air he has been showing, he was a nice person.

As both of them studied, Hakuren reached into his robes to take out a pair of oval glasses, surprising me. I didn’t question him, though, thinking that maybe they were just for reading.

“I see you are studying, brat.”

I looked up as Frau placed a dark gloved hand on top of Teito’s head.

“Frau,” we both greeted in harmony.

“I have some questions I wanted to ask about…” Teito began, until he was interrupted by Hakuren saying, “Bishop Frau!”

Shyly, Hakuren approached him.

“Hm?”

“Are you Bishop Frau?” he began shyly, surprising me.

“Yeah,” Frau stated in his nonchalant tone.

Hakuren reached out a brown book towards Frau, saying, “It is an honor to meet you.”

Frau reached out for the book curiously and opened it. The moment he saw the contents, his eyes widened with appreciation. Instantly, both Hakuren and Frau clasped arms together, as if they were doing a bro hug.

“Nice. What is your name?” Frau grinned.

“I’m Hakuren Oak.”

“You did it! I love this book!”

Both laughed out loud.

Teito exclaimed beside me, “Bribery?!!!” until a dark gloved hand reached out from behind Frau and whacked him on the head.

I looked from where the hand came from and saw a man who seemed to be in his thirties, with black bangs parted at the middle, his neatly cropped hair and demeanor reminds me so badly of Castor on a calmer level.

My heart couldn’t help but skip a beat at that thought.

“Being naughty again, Bishop Frau?” he said in his deep, serious voice.

The book he held fell on the floor to reveal porn magazines hidden creatively.

 _So that’s what it was_ , I smiled awkwardly.

The man who came in picked them up and raised them up, stating in an angry yet calm voice, “I’m going to confiscate these,” as Frau, despite being tall, tried jumping up and down to grab them back, making weird noises. “So, this is what you were doing in the library…”

Teito and I couldn’t help but look at the scene with uncertainty.

“Ah, yes. Bishop Castor is looking for you.”

_That name again…_

“Really?” Frau grumbled. “That sucks.”

I ignored the rest of the conversation as I read into the book.

Up until now, I haven’t talked to Castor.

Was it really me being immature? Maybe I just needed space from all of this. It’s pretty difficult to even think of how to approach him.

“That was Assistant Bishop Bastien, wasn’t it?” Hakuren spoke in awe. “I heard he was a mentor to Bishop Frau in the past. No wonder he became so cool and amazing at a young age, being a top notcher during the exams.”

_Frau? Top notcher?_

“Seriously, Oak?” Teito frowned. “Porn magazines?”

I snorted. “Could be worse.”

“What could be worse than _that_?” Teito inquired.

I shrugged. “Could be pictures of me in nothing but my lingerie.”

Teito dropped a book on my head angrily. “Don’t say that.”

“R-right,” I stuttered, backing down.

What got his panties in a twist?


	8. Kapitel 07

Castor didn’t expect Ashe to see her brother so late in the evening, dressed up in a tight, sleeveless shirt and shorts, just like her brother. He was sure that she, too, was surprised, but, hid it well.

“Ashe,” he greeted.

She just nodded politely and sat down somewhere, watching her brother train.

_Why won’t she look at me?_

Focusing on Teito, he asked kindly, “So, should we begin your special training?”

“Yes,” Teito nodded seriously.

As both stood side by side, he explained, “Today, we will be focusing on your mental energy, Young Teito. Yesterday,” he couldn’t help but admonish nicely, “you broke your second bascule.”

He saw Ashe’s interest peak up.

He carried on as if she wasn’t there, “Your zaiphon has a swift and explosive characteristic. However, to be able to use a bascule, you must keep your heart calm. In that case, I would like you first to run around the church.”

Ashe frowned on the side as Teito seemed to voice her thoughts, “Running? Is that all there is to it?”

“No, there’s more,” he responded seriously as Teito began to warm up before the actual event. “By being made to suffer, you will gradually lose your ‘self’ and form a stronger mentality.”

“Castor…” Teito frowned.

Out of nowhere, mannequins that resembled a certain blonde Bishop dressed in a tight, sleeveless shirt and loose track pants came out surprising both siblings as Castor grinned jovially, “That’s why I brought in these ‘Up-Lifting Supporters’.”

Ashe suddenly let out a laugh on the side, pointing a finger at the mannequins. “Those are definitely like Frau.” She slapped her knee in such an unlady-like fashion that made Castor smile at her.

“They’re multiplying!” Teito grimaced in fright. “It’s like a nightmare!!!”

Like a smart alec, Castor continued, “Today’s training will end when you give in, and lose to them in the race.”

Teito deadpanned, “Do you _really_ expect me to lose to that easily?”

The puppets started circling them noisily, saying Frau’s name mockingly.

“Where’s the real Frau?” Teito asked curiously.

Castor couldn’t tell him the truth. Instead, he stated, “He’s usually busy at night.” Raising his hand, zaiphon came out of his hand, twirling around his wrist. “Well, then, I will make a path for you to run on.”

The zaiphon somewhat integrated itself on the ground as Castor threw them, swirling away.

“Is it okay to just run on them?” Teito asked.

He nodded, “That’s right.”

The moment Teito stepped on them, a sudden electric surge went up to him.

“However,” Castor added, “it will send you flying about two meters up if you step on it, so, be careful.”

Teito indeed began to fly, yelling, “YOU SPOKE TOO LATE!!!”

“So, Teito needs to put up a shield in order to do this, huh?” I muttered what my brother said.

I wouldn’t have guessed that purpose as he and Castor continued to talk. And then, with one clap, the mannequins began to run, and Teito followed up soot.

“This is not gonna end well,” I muttered.

“Don’t you trust your brother on this?” Castor asked kindly as he sat beside me.

I politely responded, my eyes back to my brother, “I do trust him, Bishop, but, he can be a bit hotheaded when left on his own. It makes me worry, sir, for I don’t usually enjoy watching him lose his head. He’s also quite competitive, if you noticed.”

Castor gave me a look of sadness. “Ashe, please. Don’t do that.”

I looked back at him innocently, “I don’t understand, Bishop. What is it you don’t want me to do?”

A mannequin threw itself at my brother, making me stand in defense. Yet, Castor pulled me down as he stated way too cheerfully, “There are hostilities in the road of life, as well. Now, ready, set, go!!!” He clapped his hands.

“You’re a horrid slave driver,” I stared at Castor, whose hand was still on my shirt.

“Kuroyuri-sama,” a deep voice echoed somewhere from above. “Isn’t this our chance?”

A child with pink hair that’s braided on the side shook her head. Her bangs covered her right eye that held an eyepatch, only revealing her pink left eye. A small skull clip held the bangs of her left face.

Behind her stood a tall man with spiky navy blue hair swept to the right. He had sharp features, and his eyes looked loyally at his Master.

Both were wearing the garbs of the Church, but, it was obvious to whom their loyalties lied.

“Both are too guarded,” Kuroyuri stated. “We can’t get anything from being too hasty, Haruse.”

Although, Kuroyuri didn’t like how that Bishop seemed to be tracing his finger behind Ayanami’s prodigal Begleiter.

“How dare he touch what belongs to Master Ayanami,” Kuroyuri glared angrily at the redhead.

1.1.1.

After Teito’s training, I didn’t know how to get away from Castor. The entire time Teito was doing his laps, he kept a close hand on my back. At times, he would swirl his gloved hand on my back, or trace his fingers there up and down. There were also times when he’d surprisingly caress my head, unbeknownst to my brother. If he did find out, he’s surely blow a casket.

Now that Teito was gone, though, I was stuck in an awkward position with Castor. He still didn’t release me.

I began to stammer, “I-I need to go.”

I slowly rose form my seat, but, Castor took this chance to carry me bridal style.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “Someone will see us! This is bad for you, Bishop Castor! Your reputation will be at stake here!!!”

He ignored me as he carried me to a room with books lined up neatly on one shelf. He threw me not so gently on the bed, making me wince.

Castor slowly disrobed himself, leaving only a white inner shirt with long sleeves.

 _This was his room_?

Before I could truly appreciate it, Castor threw himself on me, and just closed his eyes.

I tried to struggle, but, he just gripped me tighter and said, “Be quiet and sleep.”

“I’m not supposed to be here. What if someone walks in at one point and sees us? Wouldn’t this affect your standing with the clergy?”

I was actually more worried about my reputation, but, it’s also a lose-lose scenario.

Castor sat up slowly. He looked down on me from his position, a smile on his.

I just realized that he looked even better without the glasses. His eyes, in the dark, held an emotion I couldn’t discern, but, I recognized it to be a blend of mischief and adoration and something else.

“Do you ever listen?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m serious, sir. We could get into a lot of trouble.”

“I could always make an excuse that you were nearly attacked, and I just needed to make sure you’d calm down and then fell asleep beside you without meaning to.”

“They won’t believe you,” I shook my head.

He leaned his head close to me, making me gasp. Gently, our foreheads touched, his expression serious.

“I can be pretty convincing,” he whispered.

“On what?” I asked dumbly.

Without knowing it, he kissed me.

I’ve read in many novels how a first kiss could go, and, I was pretty surprise at what occurred. It was nothing like the fireworks they said, or the rainbows with ponies that came along. It was…surprising. I could smell his clean breath, the lemony aftershave he seemed to favor, and the feel of warmth cascading down towards my stomach as little butterflies seemed to erupt. More so, his was…colder than a normal person’s, but not ice-like.

Upon my release, I stared at him, unsure how to feel, whether I should be angry that he invaded me like that, or happy that my crush gave me my first experience. “You know…I was saving my first kiss for someone.”

Castor’s beautiful brown eyes narrowed. “There won’t be anyone else.” He lowered himself and laid on my chest, making it impossible for me to move.

After a few minutes, he let out silently, “And, that wasn’t your first kiss.”

… THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME.

1.1.1.

I expected to be the first to wake up, but, at that point, I was surprise to see myself in my bedroom.

Last night was probably a dream. No way would he do that. He’s part of the clergy, and, seeing how he’s always so serious about it, he wouldn’t compromise something like that. Further, he was probably way out of my league, considering how he’s really older than me by a decade or more, being good looking himself, and seeing how he’s really tall…

Okay, I was turning into one of those women I find disgusting in the Academy, who only joined because of Ayanami.

Why did it have to be a bloody Bishop?!!!

Shaking my head, I had to remember that I’m only fourteen. He must have been just playing with me to get me to be obedient.

Sleepily, I went looking for the dining hall. Usually, when I don’t come, the nuns would come to my room to deliver food out of worry (they seemed to have adopted me and Teito, much to my chagrin). Maybe it was time to change my pace.

The moment I entered the hall, I witnessed long tables lined with culinary dishes laid right at the center. I quickly looked for my brother, flinching from the amount of light that passed through the magnificent windows. I found him waving at me. Happily sitting beside him, Hakuren was to his left.

“Nice of you to join us,” Hakuren frowned.

I yawned. “Can I please have some of the soup?”

Teito actually blinked twice.

“What?” I asked, starting to get irate.

Teito shook his head and handed me my meal. “You actually said ‘please’.”

“Is it rare?” Hakuren asked.

“On most occasions,” Teito nodded, eating his portion slowly.

“Burrapya~!” Mikage nodded at me from Teito’s shoulder, earning a gentle pat from me.

My peace was horribly interrupted as I heard Castor’s voice from beside me say, “Oh, I’m glad to see you all getting along so well.” He took a seat beside me, getting his own portion of soup, as well.

“Bishop Castor,” Hakuren acknowledged reverently.

“Morning,” Teito greeted.

I, on the other hand, just continued to eat.

“Have you tried the salad?” Castor asked me.

I looked at him weirdly. What was he playing at? Why wasn’t he with the rest of the Big Three?

He took my plate and placed some vegetables and a black, oily dressing. It was followed by some minced fish and a sandwich wrap. And then, he got me a cup of cold water, the glass instantly condensing the moment the liquid was poured in.

“What are you doing?” I hissed as silently as I could.

Castor smiled, “I’m looking out for what’s mine.”

_Huh?_

“Here,” he forked some of the vegetables and positioned it right in front of me. I made for the fork with my hand, but, he pulled away.

Frowning and going red, I went for the vegetables and took a cautious bite. The bland and slight bitterness of the vegetable mixed with the black, oily dressing mixed well with it. The dressing was a bit sour, but, there was also a tangy citrusy and sugary feel to it. The fish blended well to the flavor.

I smiled at Castor. “It’s good.”

He gently placed a thumb on the corner of my lip. Fluidly, he wiped away a small trace of the dressing with his thumb and licked it off.

Looking at my back, he asked, “What are you two staring at?”

I turned around and nearly forgot that Hakuren and Teito were not the only people in the vicinity, but, both looked at Castor with different expressions. Hakuren’s was shell-shocked and embarrassingly red, while Teito’s looked shockingly angry.

“What are you doing?” he glared comically at Castor.

Castor just shrugged and responded, ‘I’m helping your kid sister. As a Bishop, I need to give hands on on those those who need help, after all.”

The double meaning was not lost to me, but, it seemed to have gone over Teito’s head as he just nodded and responded, “So, that’s what it is.”

Hakuren and I exchanged looks that said, “What a naïve fool he is!”

Ayanami saw through Kuroyuri’s eyes and couldn’t help but smirk.

Fest was playing a dangerous game here. It was obvious who the girl was. One of the last heiress to the Raggs Kingdom, the reincarnation of Eve. For him to bond with her like that…

“We couldn’t have that, now, could we?” he spoke softly.

He sent a mental message through his spies, mentally telling them that a little disturbance in the Church couldn’t be helped.

One of his hidden subordinates in the clergy responded, “Of course, Chief Ayanami. Is there anything else I could do? I am our most humble servant, and I shall see to it that the requirement is dealt with.”

“Bring me the Eye of Mikhail form the body of Teito Klein,” he ordered. “My other two subordinates will help you.”

The moment he reclaims the Eye, the sooner he will find Pandora’s Box that kept his body. The sooner he recovers his powers, the sooner he would awaken Eve and put his revenge into action.

“The King of Raggs should have thought before hiding the gem in plain sight,” he smirked.

1.1.1.

“When is the next exam?” I asked the two.

Hakuren responded, ‘That, we don’t know yet, but, hopefully, we still have enough time to study.”

“I’m worn out already, but, I think I still have the drive for it,” Teito responded.

“You guys should also rest, though,” I frowned. “I know I couldn’t truly empathize on how you feel, but, I’m sure that not everything is based on books and physical exercises. Plus, you guys are pretty sharp and smart. I’m sure you’d excel.”

“Of course,” Hakuren smirked. “With my beauty and brains, that’s a given.”

I forgot to mention that I unlocked Hakuren’s vain side.

At one point, both Hakuren and Razette met each other. When Razette mimicked his form, he actually admired it and said, “You look dashing.”

What an ass.

Despite how the air has been truly peaceful right now, I was still bothered. The mentions of the killings still escalated, and, Teito and I came to a talk about it just a while back after Castor left to do his Bishop duties. I felt that there was some sort of calm before the storm.

Apparently, my brother and his new found best bud had a talk with Frau yesterday about Vars, people whose souls are slowly consumed by an entity that possessed them. Their spreading of darkness would help bring Verloren back to life.

“I read about him in one of the Bible texts I’ve got from the library recently.”

Teito and Hakuren nodded for me to go on.

“If I’m correct, he was supposed to be the most perfect creation of the Chief of Heavens, right?”

“Correct,” Hakuren nodded.

“So, he was tasked to take care of the souls,” I continued, “But, he became malcontented with his position, so, he decided to go on a rampage and killed the Chief of Heaven’s daughter, who was called Eve.

“Because of this, the Chief of Heavens condemned him to be locked away by splitting his powers into seven different beings – the Seven Ghosts, to carry on his job.

“What I don’t understand was why would anyone want to bring him back and why would he target Eve? It doesn’t make sense.”

Hakuren explained patiently, “If I remember correctly, there were two versions of the book you mentioned. One stated that Verloren was in love with Eve, and, her murder was done by accident. Another said that Eve stood in the way to protect the Chief, therefore, her death was eminent. The book should be inside one of the shelves of the library, so, I think you could ready it during your spare time, if you need to.”

Somehow, deep inside of me, I knew that at one point that Eve must have truly loved Verloren. It was at the back of my head, though. My guts were usually correct. For Eve, if he was back, I’m sure she’d forgive him for killing her, but, if he did come back, would it plunge the world into utter chaos and darkness?

I don’t want to lose a friend again. If Hakuren also gets hurt…

“Teito,” I looked at him, and both his and Hakuren’s eyes looked at me. “Is it okay if I join your special training with Castor?”

“You want to suffer under that slave driver’s hands? Sure, why not,” he shrugged as Hakuren belched out, “Hey, how dare you insult the almighty Bishop Castor like that?!!! You damn brat!!!”

I couldn’t help but giggle at their antics.

Hakuren may somehow resemble Mikage, but, he was truly unique. He was a light in his own way.

_God, thank you for giving my brother another light to cling on to._


	9. Kapitel 08

What a nice day it was today. No Castor, no bothersome novices in training (my brother and his friend), and, I got to enjoy the morning breeze wonderfully.

I was wandering around the garden of Labrador on this fine occasion. It was where the breeze was really fresh. The flowers were beautifully scattered around. The fragrance mingled very well – some were light, others were very strong. But, the vibrancy flew all over very well.

Lately, I haven’t been feeling any Korr attacks, which was weird. Usually, there was one about to swoop in towards either me or my brother, but, I savored it nonetheless. It was rare for me to find peace as of late.

**_Are you enjoying your luxury too well, Ashelia Mikaela Raggs?_ **

What was that?

**_Peace is only temporary, but, if you join us freely, we will not harm any one of your new friends._ **

“Who are you? Show yourself!!!”

**_What a horrible Begleiter, forgetting her superior quite easily._ **

_Ayanami._

“What do you want?” I whispered.

**_The return of the Eye of Mikhail and the Map to Pandora’s Box._ **

_You’re crazy to assume I’d hand Teito over to you. And, what makes you think I know what and where the Map is?_

Ayanami let out a deep chuckle.

**_So, Father Fea Kreuz hid it from you, too._ **

_Who?_

That bloody moron left me in the air after invading my thoughts.

Map? And, who the hell is Fea Kreuz? I’ve never heard of the name before, nor met a Bishop that went by that name. But, the name was awfully familiar… It’s nagging me at the back of my head. I knew I’ve heard of that name somewhere, but, where?

Maybe Teito can answer.

There goes my peaceful plan of living away from chaos.

Can I get an AMEN?

At this time, though, Teito and Hakuren would probably be with the seniors to learn other ways to study. My best bet to meet up with them would probably be at one-thirty luncheon.

True enough, I waited for them at the dining hall. I instantly harassed Teito by bringing him towards the table. I hissed at him, “Teito, something bad happened a while ago.”

“Tell me nothing exploded,” he sighed.

I shook my head urgently, “This is no joke. A while ago, Ayanami was talk –”

Haukren dropped the sppon he was holding. “Chief Ayanami of the Blackhawks?”

_Oh, shit._

Teito looked at me with an annoyed expression, and back at Hakuren with a resigned one. From there, Teito explained how we got here in the Church. The exams, the prison break, and the present history. Hakuren was quietly listening, but, by the end of the story, he asked, “Does that mean he possessed you?”

“Apparently not,” I mumbled. “He bound his soul to me, apparently, to know where I am of all times. I’m not sure how it worked, but, according to Castor, he cannot make me do anything else. But, whenever I felt a Korr near by,” I grasped my chest, “immense pain like boiling lava of needles is being poured inside of me.”

“That explains it,” Teito groaned. “And, you just said that he talked to your head a while ago?”

I nodded. “He was looking for you and a map, along with the name Fea Kreuz.”

It was Teito’s turn to drop his spoon.

“Oh, so you know the name?” I asked, feigning innocence.

Without grace, Teito quickly ate at a very quick speed and pulled me and Hakuren out of the building.

“Dammit, I haven’t even finished my meal yet!!!” Hakuren complained.

I nodded in agreement as Teito released us when we arrived at a deserted corridor.

“Ashe,” Teito asked me seriously, “do you recall anything from when before we were raised by Miroku?”

I frowned. “Not really. I just remember that there was a lot of snow, though. And, it was pretty cold. Plus, the sound of aircraft seemed to be visible during that time, if memory serves correctly.”

Hakuren frowned, too. “What are you trying to tell us, Teito?”

Looking at the both of us, he said, “I’ve been having flashbacks about certain incidents from the past. Fea Kreuz was someone we both knew very well, apparently. I called him Father, for he was wearing the Bishop robes coming from here. You, on the other hand, just called him ‘Kreux’, since you couldn’t pronounce his name back then.

“Further, I talked to the ones you dubbed as the Big Three,” Hakuren gave me a look, which I responded with a shrug as Teito went on, “And, they told me that Fea Kreuz was indeed a Bishop here who committed a sin: carrying away something called Pandora’s Box that held Verloren’s body and fled to Raggs, where the war happened.”

“Impossible,” Hakuren stared. “So, the stories were all true?”

Teito shook his head and said, “To quote my dear sister, history is written by the victor. I don’t know how real all of this is, but, we have to be careful, especially now that we know that Ayanami might be listening in to whatever we are talking about right now.”

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“Have you asked Castor to try and block Ayanami temporarily from your mind?” Teito asked curiously.

I shook my head. “I’m soul bound, not mind bound.”

“I think it makes sense, though,” Hakuren smiled excitedly. “It’s true that your soul was bound to the Chief of the Blackhawks, but, your mind is your own. There is a sure way of blocking him.”

“But, why Castor, though?” I asked. “I think the best bet for this would be Labrador. He seemed to be weaving a much higher power than this.”

“He deals with healing, though,” Hakuren pointed out. “I believe the best bet is Bishop Castor. His mannequin manipulation is similar to ‘bind’, so, I think that makes sense.”

1.1.1.

“What?” was the first word that came out of Castor’s mouth the moment we found him near the steps of the Church, reading a book in one hand while snacking on one of the edible roses that Labrador grew.

“I’m asking you to make a block that doesn’t allow Ayanami to enter my subconscious,” I spoke as calmly as I could.

Oh, I was still panicking, but, a lesson a learned so far was panicking will bring you nothing. I was not really in a good thinking mode, but, the reassurances I get from Hakuren and Teito were enough to keep me level-headed.

“Messing with the mind is dangerous, Ashe,” Castor warned. “It could lead into a traumatic experience that could bring you into a comma.”

“I understand that,” I responded desperately, “but, what if Ayanami is listening in right now? I would rather risk my life than let others get hurt just because I’d be selfish enough to ignore this.”

Castor seemed to smile at that response. “How selfless.” He patted my head and nodded. Looking at Teito, he asked tersely, “You agree to this?”

Teito nodded. “I know it might hurt her in the process, and, as much as I don’t want to, now knowing what could happen to her, it is her decision. It is her mind, after all.”

“It can’t be helped,” he sighed and closed his book. Looking at me, he went on, “Meet me tonight. You know where, right?”

Heat crept up my face, but, I nodded either way.

“Where is where exactly?” Teito asked.

“His room,” I mumbled.

Hakuren looked at me. “What? Didn’t hear that well.”

“Oh, bugger off,” I sighed. “Let’s say that we have a rendezvous somewhere in the Church. We had reconvened there at one point, and it’s probably the safest place to do it.

“Now, you two better be off. You still have a lot of work to do. Good luck.” I kissed my brother on the cheek and hugged Hakuren, earning looks of disgust on their faces.

“Your sister is pretty affectionate,” Hakuren observed.

Teito rubbed the area where she placed her lips on. “Yeah, she’s been like that for years. I think I babied her way too much despite the number of limited hours we spent together in the academy.”

“She’s starting to grow on me,” Hakuren mused.

Teito looked at him weirdly. “I thought you feared women?”

“I do,” he shivered, “but, your sister is kind of unique. She seemed to be in favor of the no marriage batch. And, I doubt anyone would want to marry such a wiseass like her.”

“Are you insulting my sister?!”

1.1.1.

I arrived at Castor’s room after dinner. Nervously, I knocked on the door, hearing his gentle voice calling out to me to enter. As I did, I marveled at his room once again. It was small, but, neatly organized.

When you enter, a shelf of books is properly aligned, arranged in alphabetical order. In front of me were wide windows with a small writing desk, lined with pens and papers. On my right was a one person bed.

“Lie down on the bed,” he instructed, looking grim.

As instructed, I followed.

“I want you to close your eyes,” he began.

I complied nervously, relaxing.

“Now,” his voice went lower, “picture a place where you feel safe. Picture yourself in that area, at peace and one with the environment.”

Safe place? At peace?

The first thing that popped in my head was a library. Shelves upon shelves of metal works lined up with books. The image smelled of the old mold I enjoyed at the library here in the Church. The tables were all mahogany and beautifully crafted.

I felt him place a hand on my head. Something cold seemed to flow into me, invading me slowly.

“There it is.”

Castor couldn’t mask the sweat that slowly poured from his head. He never expected to see another block, trying to keep him away.

_Fea Kreuz did it this time._

It was a fight or flight, but, he would never want to disappoint Ashe.

Slowly, he tried to stabilize the library fortress his little girl had established. Her mind was fighting it, trying to kick him out, but, he wouldn’t stop now. If he did, there was a chance he’d break her mind, and, he wouldn’t want that on his precious girl.

Though he ignored the block, he knew that there one of these days, she would find a way to release those memories. At this point, he knew it was a bit too early to do so. She and Teito Klein are still too young to bear the burden of being the chosen ones. To reinforce it would hurt her mind as it was, so, the best option was to leave her alone.

What annoyed him were the strand of memories he witnessed. Some of them were of her childhood as a sklave, where they went to the repressed area of her mind. It hurt to see him how she was forced to endure fingers parting her as random men enjoyed the innocent six year old.

Then, there were those memories of that boy, Mikage, on how he draped his arms over her all the time, or how Teito scolded her for always skipping classes. There were also scenes in which she skipped her meals, where a comically forceful Mikage would harangue her to eat.

He was thankful for that.

And then…

A memory Ashe approached him, in all her grace and beauty.

“Castor,” she smiled, trailing a finger down his face.

This was the complicated part. If he let himself get stuck here, he might be sucked in as well.

He avoided her lustful wiles. Instead, he focused on establishing a ward in every corner of her mind.

“Castor, love,” her mimic called. “Come. Come and taste.” He felt her from behind. Her slender finger slowly slipped into his mouth, tasting of the summer breeze he came to be familiar of. “I know you want to.”

It was really getting difficult to focus. He knew that every mind is different, but, this barrier in the form of Ashe was too tempting.

_Focus, Castor! You’re not a teen who could not control his emotions and reactions!!!_

One. Last. Barrier.

And the world was white.

1.1.1.

He couldn’t believe it. Ashe managed to kick him out of her sub consciousness by building a ward within his own. He felt himself hit the floor at the large barrage of impact, his head managing to knock against the table.

Someone else was inside her, and it protected her from harm.

He was sure as hell that it was neither Fea Kreuz’s, Ayanami’s nor his magic that protected her.

“Ashe?” he called out.

He prayed to the Chief of Heavens that nothing bad would happen to her, hoping that her mind was not in disarray. He was not able to completely perform the barrier, but, the being inside her managed to complete it for him.

He could still recall her words, though.

 _She loves you, Fest. Protect her from Verloren. He cannot be awakened_.

It was a gentle voice that sounded like her.

Teito couldn’t sit still. It’s been three weeks. Frau had been detained for being a warspeil, someone who could use a dark zaiphon, much to the disbelief of his and Hakuren. There was a battle between him and Father Bastien during that time, proving Frau’s innocence and reinstating his Bishophood. Still, Ashe remained asleep.

Two of the Blackhawks were detained by Labrador and an angry Castor, who looked tired and frustrated.

Things were moving a lot quickly, and the exams were fast approaching.

“She’ll be okay, Teito,” Labrador assured him. “She needs rest. Creating a mind block is not something easy. It will take time for her to recover, depending on the person’s healing ability.”

“Can’t you give her one of your flowers to heal?” he asked.

Labrador shook his head. “The mind altogether is a separate being from the body. I could not heal her mind if she wouldn’t allow herself to heal from the intrusion.”

Frau couldn’t help but poke the face of the sleeping Ashe. Was she still truly alive?

“Will you stop that?” Castor groaned.

Frau turned to face him. “So, you and this little chit, huh? How long did it take for you to fess up your feelings?”

“I don’t like what you’re implying, Frau,” Castor glared. “Watch what your mouth is saying.”

Frau sat slowly beside the girl’s sleeping form. “Don’t play coy, Castor. Before you’re the Bishop Castor, you are, first and foremost, one of the Seven. It’s okay to fall in love.”

“Not with one you are charged to protect,” he sighed.

“She’s a pretty thing, isn’t she?” Frau patted her at the side of her cheek with the back of his gloved hand. “I can see why Verloren wanted her for himself. Goes to show that even the God of Death knows how to appreciate beauty when he sees it.”

Castor couldn’t help but throw a book at him, which he dodged fabulously. “Please, get out of my room.”

“Fine, fine,” he followed suit.

Alone with Ashe once again, he couldn’t help but watch as she peacefully slept. If there was a point when he needed to keep her in stasis, will she still look like this?

He feared for the future. He knew that his love for Ashe could never be. He was but a fake, after all. His job was created when Verloren was split into two, and, he was tasked to keep her safe. With how things were, he can keep her safe from eminent danger, but from himself…

Once again, the temptation was too much. He couldn’t help but take a taste of her warm mouth as he eased his tongue inside. How he craved for her, he couldn’t admit it in words.

Indeed, no words can describe how delectable Ashe Klein was to him.

“Please, Princess,” he whispered. “Wake up. If true love’s kiss is what it takes, then, I will give you a hundred more. I know you’re strong. Don’t lose yourself to this battle.”

1.1.1.

_Where am I?_

_My thoughts were in turmoil. I was stuck in this white void for a long time now, not knowing where to go._

_‘Ashe?’_

_There was a gentle, disembodied voice calling out to me._

_‘Follow my voice,’ she said._

_As I did, I came to land in a garden filled with different flowers and butterflies. The wind was fresh, carrying the scent of pollen and butterflies. The sky was of clear blue, with small traces of clouds. At the middle of the field, was someone who looked like me, but, I know wasn’t me._

_“Ashe,” she called out. “You have no time to waste.”_

_Her voice sounded urgent, but I listened intently._

_‘You and your brother are in danger. I can’t do much but tell you that Verloren will take you from everything that is good. Just remember to not lose yourself to the darkness that has clouded that once gentle man.’_

_“Are you Eve?” I couldn’t help but ask._

_“Make haste,” she called out. “Remember, your love for Fest will be your salvation.”_

I slowly blinked my eyes open.

Light penetrated the room brightly, causing me to flinch. My body felt so still, maybe due to the lack of movement. My throat felt drier than the dessert, if that was actually possible.

I slowly lifted myself up and looked around. Castor was not around, so, it seemed I have to fend for myself. I gently lifted myself from the bed, wondering what was that dream. I couldn’t seem to recall much, except how that voice being so gentle and kind.

The moment I stepped out, I was in utter shock at seeing squads of Military personnel holding people as hostages.

I might have been sloppy after being too lax around the Church, but, I could still sneak around as I observed. Children were drawn within the circle of nuns protectively as a soldier tried to hit one of the sisters, making me angry.

But, I couldn’t tell them of my position. It will endanger them if I did.

_Now, if I was Teito, where would I be? At this point, I need to follow where the biggest explosion came from._

On point, I witnessed smoke coming out from one of the buildings that just exploded.

_Ah, there~ he is._

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first AO3 work, and my first 07-Ghost. I also have an account at ff.net, but, I don't use it anymore that much,
> 
> Please comment and happy reading ^_^


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